Ban for dog owner after puppies found in squalor

A woman has been banned from keeping dogs for seven years after she was found to have neglected a litter of puppies and three other dogs.

A court heard that Gemma Bermingham, 36, had kept a total of 13 canines in squalor at her home on Bernard Road, Edlington, Doncaster, with the RSPCA saying none of the dogs' basic needs had been met.

A sentencing hearing at Doncaster Magistrates' Court on 20 November was told that Bermingham had failed to provide the dogs with food, water, exercise or a safe environment and they had all since been rehomed.

Bermingham had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing on 16 October to four breaches of the Animal Welfare Act between 4 April and 6 May.

At her sentencing hearing, she was also given a 12-month Community Order with 70 hours of unpaid work and 10 Rehabilitation Requirement Days.

Additionally, she was ordered to pay £400 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

The sentencing hearing was told that Bermingham had been facing personal and financial issues and had prioritised other people over her pets.

According to the RSPCA, a female Malinois named Luna had recently given birth to the puppies which were found at Bermingham's home when Inspector Vanessa Reid visited the property.

A vet who later examined the dog said the three-year-old was "emaciated".

Luna's appetite was "ravenous", according to the vet, who gave her a body condition score of 0.5 out of five and said the dog had "no discernible body fat and prominent skeletal features".

There was also scarring evident on her hindlimbs, which an RSPCA spokesperson said suggested previous injury or trauma.

Meanwhile, Luna's coat was dry, unkempt and stained with urine.

The puppies, which were as young as three weeks, were found "huddled on a dirty and stained cushion in the corner of the room," Ms Reid said, adding that they had "a foul odour of faeces and grease".

Another Malinois found at Bermingham's house was given a body condition score of one out of five, meaning he was classed as "anorexic".

The RSPCA spokesperson said the dog's rib cage and pelvic bones were "easily visible" and there was scarring on his face.

A bully dog named Rocco, who was being kept in a cage, was also found in the kitchen of the property, they said.

The dog, approximately six to nine months old, was described as having "extensive poor coat conditions".

Ms Reid said dog owners "have a responsibility to their pets to seek appropriate help and advice if their circumstances change".

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