Sara Ross, 64, was found to have kept animals in appalling conditions where horses were left standing in their own faeces, cats and dogs cooped together in a caravan and birds kept in tiny cages
A well-known animal welfare campaigner whose sanctuary was supported by Simon Cowell, Katie Price and a number of other celebrities has been banned from keeping animals.
Sara Ross, 64, was found to have kept animals in appalling conditions where horses were left standing in their own faeces, cats and dogs cooped together in a caravan and birds kept in tiny cages.
Ross had devoted her life’s work to protect wildlife and worked in the House of Lords with the late Lord Houghton, who helped shape the Animal Welfare Act.
Volunteers at the Animal Sanctuary, where Ross also lived in Dorney, Bucks, were so horrified by the conditions that they called RSPCA.
Details of the animal sanctuary and its 80 animal inhabitants were revealed to the judge.
Judge Sophie Toms banned Ross from keeping or working with any animals for five years.
She also ordered Ross to undertake a Community Order after she admitted nine charges of causing unnecessary suffering to animals. She additionally has been made to pay £750 of RSPCA costs.
The animals still remaining at the Dorney sanctuary will have to be removed within 21 days, or taken into the care of another.
Among some of the high-profile showbiz stars to previously back The Animal Sanctuary included Simon Cowell, Joanna Lumley, Katie Price and Leona Lewis.
Three cats kept in a tiny cage at the farm in Dorney, Buckinghamshire
Rotting bales of hay as high as six foot were left for the animals at the park to stand on
The filthy conditions which was pictured by authorities upon their arrival at the farm
Footage from the farm shown in Reading Magistrates’ Court showed the extent of the suffering of the animals.
Seven cats and eight dogs were confined together inside a single caravan.
Vast swathes of litter were also found where the animals slept, as well as dead rats and mice strewn about. Inspectors found three adult cats confined to a cage only big enough for a kitten.
Other livestock were kept in cramped conditions while some stood as high as 6ft off the ground on rotting hay. They were suffering numerous diseases and many were kept in tiny cages which were unfit for purpose.
The judge saw further clips of the video which showed birds kept in tiny cages with small rings attached to their legs cutting into the flesh. Included also was a turkey kept in a tiny living space fit only for small birds.
Hazel Stevens, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said that the appalling conditions were found after whistleblowers reported the cruelty, abuse and lack of care.
The prosecutor said: ‘Statements from various volunteers suggest the abuse had been ongoing for some time and this abuse took place in a commercial context.
‘Volunteers were allowed to manage and run the farm who had insufficient experience or training to be running such a farm.’
‘The RSPCA had in fact discovered that she (Ross) had hidden many of the animals off-site. Many of those animals have not since re-appeared and could not be found in a second RSPCA check.’
Nigel Weller, defending, told the judge that the sanctuary had reached its state of disrepair due to the defendant’s illness, as well as a series of ‘hate campaigns’ carried out against her.
Sara Ross, founder of The Animal Sanctuary with Eamonn Holmes at a drinks reception at The House of Lords
Sara Ross has been banned from keeping animals for five years following the ruling in court
Birds were found to have their hair falling out due to the conditions they had been left in
‘This wasn’t a case of intentional disregard for animals. In 2014 Mrs Ross was trampled by some of her horses, removing the skin from her foot down to the bone.
‘In 2016 a hate campaign started, which effectively trolled Mrs Ross,’ said Mr Weller.
‘I suspect none of these people were really volunteers. They bombarded the RSPCA and Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council with thousands of letters of complaint.’
Judge Toms told the defendant: ‘It seems to me you got yourself into a position where you could no longer say no, as well as the fact the neglect on that site had clearly been ongoing for a long period of time.’
Outside court, former staff at the sanctuary applauded the ruling.
Francesca Thomas, a former volunteer said: ‘I’m delighted that justice has been done today. Sara Ross should have accepted help and admitted she couldn’t cope many years ago.
Another former volunteer, Hayley McKenzie, added, ‘I raised a serious amount of money for the charity but unfortunately the conditions continued to get worse and the neglect got much worse. So I did the right thing and reported it to the authorities and I’m incredibly pleased.’
Ross first set up the now disbanded Horse Refuge in 1994 before opening The Animal Sanctuary at the current site in Dorney, Bucks., in June 2012
Claire Swift, an ex-volunteer and fundraiser said: ‘I had raised approximately £15,000 over the time I worked there… I had witnessed animals standing in their own excrement and basic husbandry was non-existent.
‘I felt it was my duty to expose these issues along with Hayley. It has taken us over two years to get here and this five year ban is justice.’
Ross first set up the now disbanded Horse Refuge in 1994 before opening The Animal Sanctuary at the current site in Dorney, Bucks., in June 2012.
The 64-year-old made a name for herself during her time spent in Parliament and much of her work with Lord Houghton helped form the groundwork for the Animal Welfare Act.
The animal rights advocate had an award named in his honour that has since been won by the likes of Ricky Gervais and Green Party leader Caroline Lucas.
On the sanctuary’s website it previously said: ‘The Animal Sanctuary UK has a no kill policy so all animals we rescue are re-homed or stay with us for the rest of their life. This policy includes accepting former sanctuary animals back if their owners discard them.’