How could she? Ex- Crufts winner kept dogs in filthy, cramped cages like this...
A FORMER Crufts winner has been banned from keeping dogs for life after more than 30 animals were found living in appalling conditions at her home.
Margaret Greaves kept the dogs, two cats and two parrots in dark rooms and in cramped cages which were covered in filth.
Animals were found dirty, distressed, sick and without water, a court heard. The stench was so bad from the property it ‘made your throat burn as you walked in’.
Many had skin and eye conditions and a vet was reduced to tears because three dogs were in such a pitiful state they had to be put down.
One of them, a Labrador, had been suffering from the effects of a stroke for some time and was covered in lice. Another dog had to be destroyed because its ears were infected and its teeth were in such a ‘horrendous state’.
Greaves, 64, won the flyball competition at Crufts in 2014 with her team the Mansfield Marnicks. In the competition, dog teams race each other to a box that releases a tennis ball. They then race back to their handlers carrying the ball.
But yesterday she admitted four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and two counts of failing to meet the needs of an animal at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court.
She was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months and was told she would be banned from keeping dogs or assisting in the keeping of dogs for life and banned from keeping other animals for three years.
She was also ordered to pay £500 in costs and a £115 victim surcharge, with all the dogs being taken from her care.
District Judge Timothy Spruce said: ‘The level of suffering is at the high end. Almost all of the animals were deprived of a clean, dry place to sleep, many of them were caked in their own faeces and that of other dogs… a quite appalling environment.
‘This was a prolonged period of neglect. It is an aggravating feature that you are an experienced keeper and you would have known what was required.’
The RSPCA and police raided her farm at Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, on April 6 after reports that animals were living in a van and in crates.
Prosecutor Paul Wright said: ‘The police and a vet found a large number of dogs kept in crates. There was a high level of injury and suffering.’
Mr Wright said that when Mrs Greaves turned up she told inspectors ‘a large majority of the animals are no longer wanted as far as she’s concerned’.
He said dogs were found in crates in a van and in the house but added: ‘The outhouse appeared to be the worst. The vet said there was a stench which makes your throat burn as you walk in.
‘Faeces was covering the floor and there were ten dogs in crates stacked one on top of the other. No dogs had any water. The animals were kept in revolting conditions.’
It was in the outhouse that they found a dog called Bobby ‘covered in urine and his teeth were in an horrendous condition. His ears were both infected so badly that e.coli was found. The kindest thing to do was to euthanise him.
‘Another dog, Shadow, a female Labrador, was staggering and offbalance and it was suspected that she had had a stroke. She was covered with lice. She had been suffering unnecessarily for some time and she was put to sleep.’
Sean Smith, defending, said Greaves had planned to ‘downsize’ and have the animals destroyed.
‘An appalling environment’