By RSPCA rescuer describes ‘terror’ in Grimsby house as ‘worst of her career’
A veteran RSPCA rescuer has described an operation as one of the worst she has attended, at a filthy house in Grimsby.
Laura Barber has worked as an RSPCA inspector for 15 years and was called out to what she described as the “worst case of her career” in November last year. Laura also found four dead pets inside the property, that had a significant amount of faeces and fleas.
The animal welfare charity has released footage from the investigation to show some of the awful situations rescuers are faced with, as part of its new campaign to Cancel Out Cruelty.
Lacey the boxer was immediately rushed to Blue Cross Animal Hospital for emergency veterinary treatment. After the dog was safe, Laura began collecting evidence at the address.
During the investigation, inspector Barber found the decomposing remains of a dog inside a locked bedroom covered in faeces and rubbish as well as two dead lizards found in vivariums without power. Days later, the body of another dog was found in a freezer.
“I went inside but the landlord chose to remain outside due to the disgusting state of the property,” said Laura as she recounted the event. “I knew it was going to be bad when I saw flies around the door and we are used to dealing with some horrific situations – but this one was truly awful and so upsetting.
“On opening the front door I could immediately see that the whole of the floor of the entrance hallway was covered in dried, crusty excrement and there were cobwebs everywhere. The house smelt of ammonia and was full of rubbish.”
Laura described the horror of finding the decomposing body of a dog, found in an upstairs bedroom filled with crusty excrement and rubbish
“There was an empty, green plastic bowl that had been chewed all around its edges. There was a metal pan with some dog biscuits in it which was covered over with cobwebs. There was also an empty small saucepan with dog biscuits on the floor mixed in with the dog excrement. This room was extremely upsetting to see,” continued Laura.
The two lizards were found dead downstairs, they appeared to have been deceased for some time. As she then went into the kitchen she found a dog crate that was covered in excrement, suggesting a dog had been locked in the cage for a considerable amount of time.
She said: “The excrement was hard, and was approximately five inches deep in places. There was also a dog bowl that had nearly been covered with excrement.” The remains of the animals were taken away as evidence as part of an RSPCA investigation.
According to the vets, Lacey was around 8 years old, and she was emaciated and crawling with fleas, had urine stains on her legs, and was so weak she could stand unaided.
“It was a pitiful sight to see. She was unable to stand and was only able to lift her head to respond to my voice and touch,” said Laura. “She had a thick, brown discharge coming from her nostril, and her left eye was cloudy and appeared strange. Even though she would not stand, I could clearly see this dog was in very poor, emaciated condition. I could see and feel all her spine, ribs, and pelvic bones.
“Her legs were heavily stained and instead of being white were a dirty yellow colour indicating she had laid in her own urine for some time. I could clearly see loads of fleas crawling through her coat, and in the bedding. She was in such a poor state, it was heartbreaking to see.”
Lacey remained at Blue Cross Animal Centre in Grimsby where she would recover. Meanwhile, inspector Barber to tracked down the previous occupant of the property, and he admitted to leaving the dogs locked in separate bedrooms – full of faeces, urine, and fleas.
He also mentioned a dog called Hercules which he caged for three months in his own mess. The body of Hercules was found in a freezer. He told how he also left the two lizards to die.
The man who was responsible died before his prosecution went to court. However, he claimed that Lacey was his dog but was left with the other pets after a friend moved out, and he was unable to clean any of the mess up due to his leg injury.
Lacey was later adopted by Ryan Rouse, a staff member at the Blue Cross who had helped her, though unfortunately, her health began to deteriorate due to the previous neglect, so a vet decided the best option was to sadly put her to sleep.
“Lacey was so emaciated when she came to us she had to be carried. She was given treatment and when the only option to house her was kennels I stepped in to offer her a foster home to give her a happy, safe place to live,” said Ryan.
“She soon became a member of the family and we gave her all the love we could give. Sadly, the years of neglect had taken its toll on her, and when it was time to say goodbye the team at Grimsby all gave her a cuddle, and many tears were shed.”
Laura added: “It was heart-wrenching that in spite of the best efforts of the dedicated staff who cared and loved Lacey she was not able to make the recovery we all really prayed for.
“It was very upsetting but I take some comfort in the fact that she did get away from that awful prison cell and was able to enjoy the outside world and that she also found plenty of love and affection with all those who knew her.
“This was a sickening case to deal with and it is so difficult to imagine the pain and suffering and sheer terror those pets went through as they died a lingering death in such awful circumstances.”
The latest figures from the RSPCA reveal that 90,000 dogs suffered at the hands of humans over the last year and have called for further support to help continue their work to stop this cruelty for good.
(Images: RSCPA)
