Harrowing images show cats with horrific wounds after animal home founder, 69, failed to get them treatment after ‘rescuing’ them
- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
- A 69-year-old woman who founded an animal rescue group neglected eight cats
- The felines, in her care, developed horrific dental problems due to the neglect
- She had been found guilty earlier in the year for animal abuse, the RSPCA said
An animal rescue group founder has been sentenced to a three-year community corrections order after she failed to get treatment for eight cats in her care.
The 69-year-old was sentenced in Ballina Local Court, in northern New South Wales, on Tuesday for the offences committed in 2017.
RSPCA Inspectors began to investigate the woman for a second time on July 31, 2017, when the body and vets went to her home.
They assessed 58 cats and found eight had medical issues.
RSPCA Inspectors began to investigate the woman for a second time on July 31, 2017, when the body and vets went to her home
They assessed 58 cats and found eight had medical problems
A time frame was put in place for the woman to get care for the cats.
However six of the cats were still untreated within seven days.
Two had grade three dental disease while the others had grade four – meaning they had inflammation, missing teeth, ulcers, infections and discharge at the gum line.
RSPCA NSW said this can be extremely debilitating for felines, as well as extremely painful and unnecessary.
Vets determined four of the cats also had chronic infections in their external ear canals, which would have been identifiable seven days before they examined the animals.
If this illness is left untreated it can lead to the rupture of the cats ear drum or spread to the brain.
The woman is the founder of an animal rescue group on the NSW north coast, where she cared for almost 60 cats
The magistrate said the woman who was supposed to care for the animals showed a ‘degree of arrogance toward the RSPCA’s opinion’.
The magistrate added there was a ‘wilful blindness as to the necessity of having the cats treated’.
Scott Meyers, RSPCA NSW Chief Inspector, said: ‘It is unfortunate that a person in charge of an animal welfare rescue group has committed these offences towards animals in her care.’
Two cats had grade three dental disease while the others had grade four – meaning they had inflammation, missing teeth, ulcers, infections and discharge at the gum line
‘This conviction represents the importance of thorough and routine vet examinations to maintain the optimum health and wellbeing of animals in a person’s care, particularly as an animal rescue group, which has a higher expectation placed up on them by the community to properly look after and provide necessary treatment to their rescue animals.
‘It is the second time the defendant has been charged and convicted for failing in that responsibility.’
The woman, who was also convicted of animal cruelty offences earlier in 2017, was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order.
The magistrate said the woman who was supposed to care for the animals showed a ‘degree of arrogance toward the RSPCA’s opinion’
She has conditions of good behaviour and appearances before the court as stipulations.
The woman also had to give up custody of the eight cats within 28 days.
She was also banned from having any felines for two years and pay RSPCA NSW a cost of $11,462.