Woman left four dead cats rotting in flea-ridden house that was so filthy a pile of POO blocked front door
Nicola Lissimore, 49, was found living in the squalor alongside a further 10 cats found in a poor bodily condition
A WOMAN who left four dead cats rotting in a flea-ridden house so filthy a pile of POO blocked the front door has been banned from keeping animals.
Nicola Lissimore, 49, was found living in the squalor alongside a further 10 cats found in a poor bodily condition.
Lissimore, from Wolverhampton, West Mids, pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences when she appeared before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court last Friday.
The court heard how the RSPCA were called to her address after concerns the animals were not being cared for.
Inspector Dawn Burrell went to the home where she found piles of poo and rubbish.
The pets had no access to the outside and she could see fleas jumping up at the front door.
Inspector Burrell said once inside it was clear the cats were suffering from dehydration, were emaciated and had other untreated medical issues.
She said: "The police went to the back door and couldn’t push it in due to the amount of faeces behind it so we tried the front.
"This time a front panel went through and immediately the smell of ammonia hit us as we went inside - it was so strong we were physically gagging."
She added: "We found four dead cats amongst the piles of faeces which was piled high, there was rubbish strewn around and the only water available in the property was from a bathroom tap which was left running but the door was closed so they couldn’t access it.
"This was one of the worst properties I have entered in my thirty years in the job.
"It was so sad to see these dead cats just left in the filth and the others were either emaciated or had other health problems which had not been addressed."
The surviving cats were signed over into the care of the RSPCA and have now been rehabilitated.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Some have already found new homes and others are still waiting for adopters.
Lissimore was also given a 12-week jail term suspended for 18 months.
She will be be required to undertake a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement for 30 days and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £300 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.