Warning
UNIMAGINABLE CRUELTY
I’ve worked for RSPCA for 15 years – this was worst case of pet cruelty I’ve seen & freezer discovery I’ll never forget
A SHOCKING video shows a faeces-filled, rubbish-strewn home where five animals were abandoned in what one animal charity worker described as "the worst case" she has ever seen.
Four animals were found dead inside the disgusting property and one emaciated dog was barely alive.
7
7
This month The Sun is highlighting the shocking rate of animal cruelty in the UK.
Reports to the increase during the summer months - meaning the charity is likely to deal with an average of three calls every minute.
In July and August, the charity expects to receive around 134,000 calls per month, many of which are from members of the public reporting instances of animals being beaten, mutilated, abandoned and killed - an increase of 44,000 per month.
Dogs are four times more likely than any other pet to be abused.
READ MORE IN NEWS
Inspector Laura Barber has worked as an RSPCA inspector for 15 years, but nothing could prepare her for the sight that greeted her on entering a house in Grimsby last November.
The animal welfare charity has released the horrific video from their investigation to show some of the heartbreaking scenes their rescuers are met with.
House clearance workers at the address where a tenant had moved out found a very emaciated boxer-type dog.
The eight-year-old pooch, called Lacey, was rushed to a Blue Cross Animal Hospital for emergency treatment and the RSPCA was alerted.
Most read in News
Inspector Barber said: “I went inside the property but the landlord chose to remain outside due to the disgusting state of the place.
"I knew it was going to be bad when I saw flies around the door.
“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. We are used to dealing with some horrific situations - but this one was truly awful and so upsetting.”
Inspector Barber soon discovered Lacey was not the only victim.
7
7
HELP US CANCEL OUT CRUELTY THIS SUMMER
THE SUN is joining forces with the RSPCA to stamp out cruelty against animals.
Every day this summer, the animal welfare charity expects to receive an extra 1,413 calls to its cruelty hotline - that's three every minute.
Dermot Murphy, chief inspectorate officer at the RSPCA, said: “We are a nation of animal lovers and no one wants to think of an animal being cruelly treated, but sadly the reality is that every day animals are victims of deliberate cruelty and thankfully the RSPCA is there to help them."
The RSPCA is the only charity rescuing animals and investigating cruelty.
Their frontline rescue teams need YOUR support so they can help reach and care for animals in need.
Just £6 can help feed a dog in the charity’s care for a day, while £10 could pay for bandages for a cat or dog.
You can help by donating at .
There were two dead lizards lying in vivariums which had no power and the decomposing body of a dog was inside a locked bathroom, covered in faeces and rubbish.
Days later, the body of another dog was found in the freezer.
The charity interviewed the man who lived at the property, who revealed Lacey had spent two years locked in a filthy bedroom, covered in fleas and never let out.
The dog which was found in the freezer, Hercules, had spent three months in a cage, which Inspector Barber discovered in the kitchen, filled with faeces.
She said: “I was very shocked to see the amount of dog excrement inside. It was hard and approximately five inches deep in places. There was also a dog bowl that had nearly been covered with excrement.”
Where the other dog - Lily - had perished, there was a wall that had shed its plaster and was down to bare wood in places, suggesting she had tried to claw her way out.
Inspector Barber said: “There was a green plastic bowl that was empty that had been chewed all around its edges.
There was an empty small saucepan with dog biscuits on the floor mixed in with the dog excrement. This room was extremely upsetting to see
Inspector Barber
“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.”
Lacey was in such poor health you could see her bones and she was unable to stand unaided.
Her fur was crawling with fleas and she had urine stains on her legs where she had laid in her own wee.
Inspector Barber said: “She was only able to lift her head up to respond to my voice and touch.
“I could see and feel all her spine, ribs and pelvic bones. She was in such a poor state, it was heartbreaking to see.”
Sheer terror
The man responsible - who we are not naming - died before his case went to court.
He claimed Lacey was his dog but the other pets belonged to a friend who moved out.
During an interview with the charity, he said Lacey had been in her filthy room for two years and never let out during that entire time.
I could see and feel all her spine, ribs and pelvic bones. She was in such a poor state, it was heartbreaking to see
Inspector Barber
He claimed he couldn’t clear up their mess because he had an ankle injury.
Lacey was adopted by a Blue Cross staff member, but she was in such poor health that it was decided it was kinder to put her down.
Inspector Barber said: “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.
Read More on The Sun
“It was very upsetting but I take some comfort in the fact she did get away from that awful prison cell and was able to enjoy the outside world and that she found plenty of love and affection with all those who knew her.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“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.”
To donate to the RSPCA's Cancel Out Cruelty campaign in partnership with The Sun, visit .
7
7
7
Topics