Freezer horror in animal shelter Jailed and life ban from keeping dogs
A pet shelter boss has been jailed after a raid on her premises revealed six dead dogs stored in a chest freezer.
Zara Brown, 29, was banned from keeping dogs for life and jailed for seven months on Tuesday for terrible neglect of animals at the santuary near Patna.
Scottish SPCA inspector Leanne McPake said she was “horrified” by the conditions the animals were forced to live in.
Her team discovered lifeless pets when they investigated the Ayrshire Ark base on December 2 last year.
Ms McPake said: “As an inspector who deals with animal cruelty we expect to see horrible things, however this case was particularly harrowing and will stay with us for a long time.
“The conditions in which the dogs were forced to live were woefully inadequate.
“There was an overpowering stench as all the floors were covered in dog faeces and urine, and there was debris strewn in some of the rooms creating more hazardous and unacceptable conditions.”
She continued: “On arrival we found nine dogs in various rooms tethered or caged, one dog was found dead and six others were discovered in a freezer.
“The dogs that were still alive were clearly malnourished and had no access to food or water.”
During an earlier hearing last week depute fiscal Jason Bell said a smell of faeces and urine was so overpowering it made the witnesses gag.
Mr Bell said the place was strewn with rubbish and it was dark with no lighting. He added how a smell of faeces and urine was so overpowering it made the witnesses gag.
They found a dead dog - called Bruce behind a door.
Bruce’s owner was in court and rushed towards Brown when she heard the fate of her beloved pet. She was escorted from the court by a police officer.
The court heard how after the raid nine emaciated and diseased dogs found inside were rushed to the vets - and one had to be put down.
Brown was supposed to be providing a safe and happy home but she let eight pooches waste away in agony with painful infections. At an earlier hearing she admitted nine charges of causing unnecessary suffering by failing to feed the animals resulting in them becoming emaciated and malnourished and not providing care and treatment for their health conditions.
The terrible neglect took place between October and December last year at the squalid old St Xavier’s Primary School in the village.
Euan Cameron, defending said Brown was a mother of four with a new born child.
He said she had no previous convictions and operated the sanctuary for 10 years without being in trouble with the police.