A pack of fifteen INBRED dogs were forced to live in squalid, cramped and deadly conditions in a tiny Wigan council semi, running wild and ripping each other to pieces.
The ‘feral’ hounds were kept inside by their master and mistress and barely let out of the three bedroomed house as they battled for their own space.
The inbred cross-breed terriers would rarely be separated and were locked in rooms where they regularly fought each other.
So desperate were they to escape the rooms, they had even scratched through the plaster of the walls, exposing the brickwork.
RSPCA officials were called in after a tip off and during a search of the property a dogfight broke out between the animals which left one mauled to death.
As the owners fled in a car, the officers got into the house with the aid of police, they discovered ‘almost every surface’ was covered in dog faeces and urine – and the body of the dead dog inside.
None of the animals were neutered, castrated or vaccinated, which fuelled their aggression and led to the large number. The investigation featured in Channel 5 documentary The Dog Rescuers.
UNTHINKABLE: Insp Vicki McDonald rescues a female dog attacked and torn apart by the others
Details emerged as Peter Higgins, 53, and Ann Warren, 38, from Tyldesley, near Wigan, were banned from keeping animals for life after admitted cruelty offences.
But the couple, who are both on benefits, walked free after claiming they had a condition known as a ‘animal hoarding’.
Since being rescued and treated for injuries from previous fights at a cost of £40,000 to taxpayers including £10,000 in vets fees, all but one of the pack has been deemed suitable for rehoming. The last dog is still dangerously aggressive and will be put down.
The case comes after six-day-old Eliza-Mae Mullane and 11-month old Ava-Jayne Corless were killed by dogs inside houses within the space of a week.
PAINFUL: Insp McDonald attempts to save the fatally wounded dog
Today Insp Vicki McDonald from the RSPCA said the dogs owned by Higgins and Warren would never have been aggressive as they were had it not been for the suffering caused by the couple.
She said: “I just hope this case acts as a warning to to anyone considering keeping animals in this manner. This was an awful situation I had to deal with and one which I hope I never come across again in my career.
“The way those dogs behaved aggressively was due to the fact they were kept in those squalid conditions by these people. These weren’t naturally aggressive dogs – they just didn’t know what it was like to be on a lead and not to be in that house.”
The court heard Higgins and Warren originally had two dogs but inherited another when his grandmother died and the three began to breed with each other.
HEARTBREAKING: The female dog eventually dies from her horrific injuries
Prosecutor Tony Stock said the animals were well-fed, but said it was the appalling conditions which the animals were kept in which led to the investigation in June last year.
He added: ”When Insp McDonald attended the property there was a delay in them answering the door and once she got inside frantic if fairly hopeless attempts had been made to clean up inside the premises.
“When she got inside she saw numerous cross-bred dogs running loose. The smell was overpowering with faeces and urine on the floor and nearly every level surface.
“Higgins told the inspector there were ten dogs but we know there were in fact 15. The inspector and vet were so shocked by the conditions both described them as among the worst they had seen animals housed – and the vet has been working for 30 years.”
SQUALOR: Other inbred, feral dogs run wild in the council house
The court was shown footage of Higgins and Warren fleeing the house holding two dogs while Insp McDonald repeatedly tells them to stop.
Mr Stock added: “The defendants were told at least three times that they should separate the dogs to prevent them from fighting. It became clear before they left that they hadn’t separated any of the dogs.
”A fight then breaks out between at least two of the dogs and one is fatally wounded.
“The property was an absolute mess. There were no carpets and it was covered in dog faeces and urine, creating a foul smell.
“There were flies throughout the property and no place for the dogs to sleep. Most of the dogs had never left the property and were terrified when approached by officers.
RUNNING WILD: One feral dog watched from the window as others fight inside
“They behaved like a wild pack and had been allowed to become feral and were interbred. By the time the officers could get in the dog had been savaged to death by the others.
”The death of that dog is a result of the fact they weren’t separated.
“It is evident that small fights had occurred between the dogs on a regular basis.”
In mitigation for the couple, defence lawyer Joe Egan said: “The way they look at things is not the way the ordinary reasonable person looks at things.
“They clearly have the condition ‘animal hoarding’. The behaviours are similar to other dog hoarding cases and it’s a recognisable phenomenon.
”Where a lot of people keep many animals, animal hoarders allow the numbers to increase to a point where the welfare of the animals and the owners starts to suffer and the owners are unaware of the suffering of the animals.
“All they know is that these are dogs that they love. Any punishment will be nothing to the bereft feeling they have. They have lost the equivalent of their children.
“This is not a typical case of cruelty. These dogs were well-fed. These are two people on benefits and it’s amazing they were able to feed these animals.”
Higgins and Warren admitted causing unnecessary suffering and were given 12 weeks jail suspended for 12 months, a 7pm to 7am curfew for 12 weeks. Each will have to pay costs of £580.
JP Brenda Brown said: “Both defendants have professed that they loved these dogs but the evidence that we have seen belies that claim.
“No-one having seen what we have today would ever consider that any animal should ever be kept in such conditions. The house was filthy and it is clear that these dogs were confined in totally unsuitable accommodation.
“The dogs behaved as though they were feral and bore evidence of previous incidents – the end result was that one dog died as a direct result of an attack by other dogs.”
All pictures courtesy of Channel 5 via Channel 5 Player online, with thanks.
