Animal abuse and fail is sadly a mutual recurrence, with perpetrators beingness hauled before the courts. The last 12 months have been no different, with cases across Greater Manchester and the wider region causing major concern and horror.

In a bid to deter people from conveying out the cruel attacks, tougher prison sentences were introduced in April last year, raising jail terms from a maximum of six months to 5 years. Only, the vile abuse still rages on.

Last month, Claire Anderson was jailed for four weeks afterwards blowing cannabis fume up her canis familiaris'southward nose. In a recorded phone call, poor Benji could be heard coughing and groaning equally Anderson laughed and asked her boyfriend if she should do information technology over again.

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Her lawyer had previously told a court that she would have expected a customs penalty, simply this would not be possible due to her already being in prison for a separate offence. Anderson, of Hazelwood Route, was found guilty of animal cruelty.

Other cases include a couple who encouraged their children and dogs to partake in badger baiting; a father and daughter who were filmed striking dogs in their doggy day intendance centre; and a adult female who locked her dog in a cupboard and left it to dice.

Hither, the Manchester Evening News has looked back on those who were brought before the courts for their horrific behaviour.

Ex-master school teaching assistant filmed young child attacking wild fauna

Ex-didactics assistant Paris Carding encouraged a kid to take function in 'graphic and perverse animal cruelty at its worst'. Carding, 28, and her so-beau Grant Leigh Jnr, 30, were captured on camera encouraging their dogs and children to engage in badger baiting.

Horrific pictures and videos were afterward shared on a individual Facebook grouping - 'The Real Terrier Men and Lurcher Men'. They showed dogs kept by the couple - and Leigh's father, Grant Leigh Snr, 52 - savagely attacking badgers and foxes.

Grant Snr, who was serving a suspended sentence at the fourth dimension of the offences, operated as an administrator of the group where he boasted about taking his son badger baiting as a fashion of celebrating his recent prison release.

Teaching assistant Paris Carding encouraged a toddler she was caring for to kill badgers and foxes during a "family day out''

Teaching assistant Paris Carding encouraged a toddler she was caring for to impale badgers and foxes during a "family day out''

A joint investigation by RSPCA and Cheshire Police executed raids on October 26, and found vi dogs in squalid conditions at Leigh Snr'due south house on Marler Road in Hyde , and ane at Carding'southward who all had injuries consistent with hunting activities. Leigh Jnr's phone was seized and messages and videos relating to the incidents were institute leading to prosecution.

All of the dogs - four terriers and iii lurcher types - were taken into RSPCA intendance. The court was shown disturbing footage taken from the phone which showed iii dogs attacking a fox while a child is heard saying: "I want to fustigate it again."

Another video was and then shown where Leigh Jnr is helping the youngster 'fustigate' a badger with a shovel. In another video, taken by Carding according to the prosecution, she can exist heard maxim 'they beloved it, fustigate! Bash!'

Leigh Snr was previously employed as a huntsman and was active in the 'The Real Terrier Men and Lurcher Men' Facebook grouping,

At a trial in March, Carding was constitute guilty of five cruelty charges under the Protection of Badgers Human activity 1992. Grant Sr was institute guilty of two offences nether the Animal Welfare Act, and Grant Jr admitted to seven cruelty offences.

Carding, of Fawley Grove, Wythenshawe, was sentenced to 22 weeks custody suspended for 12 months with Leigh Snr given 12 weeks suspended for 12 months. Both were ordered to pay £one,000 costs towards the investigation.

For his offences, Leigh Jnr was handed a 26 week sentence, which will exist added to the prison judgement he is currently serving for different matters. All defendants were banned from owning animals for life.

Dad and daughter hit with ban over sickening footage

The horrifying footage was captured on video

Father and daughter, John and Lauren Walker, both avoided jail after sickening footage was shared on social media of dogs beingness smacked at a doggy mean solar day care eye. Lauren, 31, owned Mucky Pups Doggy Day Intendance in Rishton, Lancashire, and employed her begetter to work there.

A former employee complained to the RSPCA in Dec 2019 later on recording John, 69, hitting the dogs which he after shared on social media. He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to seven dogs between September 10, 2019, and Nov 19, 2019.

An independent vet, who studied the footage said: "The videos illustrate a canis familiaris twenty-four hour period care centre caring for a number of dogs. In particular an adult male member of staff tin exist seen interacting with the dogs on a number of occasions. In some of the videos the adult male person can be seen to physically strike a number of dogs with his hand.

The 69-year-former, of Greenhill, Slap-up Harwood, besides pleaded guilty to declining to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of the animals were met between Baronial 1, 2019, and Dec 18, 2019.

Lauren, of Knowles Street, Rishton, pleaded guilty to failing to accept reasonable steps to prevent unnecessary suffering by her father to protected animals. Both have now been banned from holding a council beast welfare licence so are unable to run a like business concern.

John was given a 12-month community order, including 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a 26-calendar week curfew from 7pm to 7am. Lauren was also given a 12-month customs order, including a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and must serve a five-week curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am. She was as well ordered to pay £200 costs and a £90 victim surcharge.

Shut in cupboard and left to die

The conditions in which the poor dog was found

Natasha Jolly shut her dog in an under-stairs cupboard and left her to die. Neighbours became concerned about the odor coming from her flat and investigated farther to find the dog had died and was covered in a canvas.

The dog, whose name is non known, was discovered in an nether-stairs covered, surrounded by sometime dog faeces with no natural light or any course of appropriate bedding. The pet was 'in an emaciated state, with all of her bones visible and protruding.'

The dog's post mortem examination revealed that the dog's tummy contained faeces and plastic clothing tags, suggesting that she was so hungry she was eating annihilation she could find. The vet confirmed the dog would accept suffered for a number of months.

Jolly, 30, of St Chad's Road in Blackpool, was hauled earlier Blackpool Magistrates' Court on Midweek, May 5, to answer for the crime, pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to her dog, opposite to the Beast Welfare Act 2006.

Along with the lifetime disqualification from keeping all animals, which she tin can not entreatment for x years, magistrates sentenced Jolly to 14 weeks custody, suspended for two years, a 30-twenty-four hour period Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and ordered her to pay £150 costs.

Couple neglected ponies - then tried to hide the corruption

The ponies were discovered in cramped conditions

Elderly couple Jack and Barbara Carter kept four severely neglected ponies 'imprisoned in lamentable atmospheric condition' at a smallholding on their property on Depository financial institution Bridge, Tarleton, Lancashire. They were taken to court later an RSPCA investigation uncovered the neglect they attempted to hide.

RSPCA were called to investigate after a fellow member of the public raised concerns about the welfare of a pony believed to exist in their care. The inspectors attempted to wait effectually the property on many occasions but found that Mr Carter had many excuses as to why a meeting could not accept place.

An inspector attended the address on March 22 2021 and could see a stable block behind the couple'due south business firm simply was unable to access this without permission. They were concerned that the accused was avoiding a visit and then returned to the area once again to view the stable from a public footpath nearby - where she saw that a green sheet and wire mesh now covered the doorway of the stable she saw on her commencement visit.


When she subsequently eventually gained entry, she found three ponies in the yard directly behind the house and said: "They all had horrendously overgrown hooves that had started to corkscrew. There was very fiddling room for them to move around or even stand unremarkably. Again their backs reached the stable roofs.

"It was my stance that based on what I had seen it was highly possible that these ponies had been in these stables all their lives."

The ponies were unable to get out of the stables due to their ill wellness and the build up of filth then staff had to dig their way in and pause down wooden walls to go to them.

These ponies were signed over into RSPCA care and were taken for an emergency veterinary examination and sadly four of them were all found to be suffering then the vets decided the kindest affair to exercise was to put them to sleep to end their suffering.

As well every bit the life ban on keeping all animals both defendants, of Banking company Bridge, Tarleton, Lancashire, were sentenced to 12 weeks suspended for 2 years and were both ordered to pay £500 costs.

Sergeant punched puppy later on pet pooed on his carpet

Sergeant Martin Dunn

GMP firearms officer Sgt Martin Dunn punched a v-month-one-time puppy, Frank, after it pooed on his living room rug. He said he 'saw ruby-red' and attacked the Springer Spaniel, hitting information technology three or 4 times in the garden.

The 48-year-old had been drinking when he was filmed shouting and swearing at the domestic dog, calling it a 'picayune b******d' before raining down a number of blows.

Dunn, of Albion Gardens, Meltham, Kirklees, Due west Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to one count of creature cruelty and was sentenced to a 12 month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work reduced from 180 because of his guilty plea.

He was besides butterfingers for five years from keeping any animals autonomously from a lizard-type, Leopard Gheko. In addition he was told to pay court costs of £85 and a surcharge of £95 within 28 days.

It was unclear precisely what would happen to Frank as the courtroom heard his ownership is disputed.

An RSPCA spokesperson said: "The RSPCA - the principal investigator of animal fail, cruelty and serious organised animal crime in England and Wales - was admittedly delighted when Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Human action 2021 was passed. It means courts now have more flexibility to hand out sentences that better reflect the severity of the crimes they are dealing with and we hope they practice take this on board in some of the horrific cases brought before them.

"For years, many of those responsible for the most horrific, fierce and unimaginable cruelty to animals have been punished with just a few short months in prison, less than they might get for fly tipping. We hope the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act will act equally a greater deterrent and will amend protect our animals and have united states a step closer to our ultimate goal: stamping out animal cruelty once and for all."


To aid the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in drastic need of care delight visit their website or phone call the donation line on 0300 123 8181 .

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