Man banned for donkey neglect
A MAN from Southowram has been disqualified from keeping equines following a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.
Benjamin Peter Marshall , 43, of New Street, was sentenced at Bradford Magistrates Court. Marshall, who had previously failed to comply with advice from both the RSPCA and The Donkey Sanctuary, pleaded guilty to three animal welfare offences, on the morning his trial was due to take place.
These offences included the unnecessary suffering to 13-yearold Jemimah, by failing to meet her basic welfare needs and not seeking veterinary treatment for laminitis and adequate dental care.
The third offence related to a second donkey, four-year-old, Snowball, daughter of Jemimah. Again, her basic welfare needs were not being met Marshall also failed to provide Snowball with adequate foot care. The RSPCA launched a joint investigation with The Donkey Sanctuary, after they found the basic welfare needs of the animals were not being met and the donkeys needed urgent veterinary and farriery treatment.
RSPCA Inspector Rebecca Goulding and two welfare advisers from The Donkey Sanctuary discovered the donkeys living on a waste site that contained many dangerous objects. The area was littered with broken plastic, wood, scrap metal among other rubbish. There was also a broken trailer that had multiple sharp edges on it and the area was strewn with broken metal and glass. She found that there was no area of the field that was suitable for the donkeys.
The owner advised the donkeys had access to water in a dustbin, but the water level was too low down for the donkeys to reach. Their shelter was dirty and deep in mud and faeces and meant the donkeys had no hardstanding. Vet Dr Suzanne Green from Greenway Equine Veterinary Services, was called to assess the donkeys’ conditions and found that Jemimah was extremely lame with laminitis. She had an overgrown foot and was in a lot of pain. Marshall told the vet; “...the donkey had been like that for 10 years and that it was fine”.
Snowball’s feet were overgrown and starting to curl upwards. She had thrush and severe white line disease in all four of her feet.
The donkeys were removed and transported to a Donkey Sanctuary funded holding base so they could receive specialist care and start their rehabilitation.
In mitigation, the court heard that Marshall should be given credit for his guilty plea and he had now agreed to sign Snowball over to the RSPCA. Jeminah had been signed over at an earlier date.
In addition to the five-year disqualification from keeping donkeys, magistrates sentenced Marshall to an 18-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work in the community and ordered him to pay £350 costs and a victim surcharge of £90.
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