8:53am Thursday 2nd April 2009
A COUPLE who owned a pet shop could face jail for causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
Craig Basford and Lauren Gibson, of Weardale Avenue, Billingham, near Stockton, have been found guilty of eight counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a total of 18 animals.
They were also found guilty on three counts of breaching pet shop licencing conditions.
The couple were each found not guilty of a further 21 charges of unnecessary suffering and licencing.
They had denied all of the charges.
However, at Teesside Magistrates’ Court yesterday, District Judge Kristina Harrison said more charges may have been proved had the prosecution provided expert evidence in relation to reptiles.
The couple were running Petropolis pet shop, in Billingham, when Stockton Borough Council animal welfare officers visited in August 2006, following a complaint made by a member of the public.
Basford, 33 and Gibson, 25, were warned about the responsibility they had to the animals. A month later officers carried out a search of both the house and the shop and found dead animals, others without food and water, and a smell of animal faeces and urine.
More than 350 live animals and 22 dead animals were seized from the two premises. Mrs Harrison, who said custody was an option, described the couples’ home as a “picture of utter squalor”.
However, she said she had to take into account the problems the couple were having at the time, including Basford’s bad back and Gibson’s pregnancy.
In mitigation, Basford and Gibson claimed to have many years experience of looking after animals.
During the trial, they claimed some of the thinner reptiles had been taken from customers who could not look after them properly, although they could not provide details of these customers.
They also said animal welfare officers had visited premises on their weekly cleaning day.
Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton council’s cabinet member for housing and community safety, said: “Animals need to be cared and provided for and, sadly, that did not happen in this case. This should act as a warning to anyone mistreating animals, we will not tolerate it and will prosecute when necessary.”
The couple will be sentenced on April 24.
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