A greyhound trainer who kept starving hounds next to the remains of dead dogs in "disgraceful conditions" at her farm has been jailed. Rebecca Perkins, 42, also kept the greyhounds in barns where the smell of faeces and urine was "overpowering and almost unbearable".
Scarborough Magistrates Court how the state of Perkins' farm was discovered after a steward from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) visited. Upon arrival at the farm, he found a black greyhound that was struggling to get out of a small plastic portable kennel.
He also found several thin and very underweight greyhounds in stable blocks - and the skeleton of a small dog that had been there for some time. When Perkins returned home, he asked her to open the main kennel block, where he saw dogs in shocking conditions who were "extremely thin and emaciated".
The stench inside the kennels left him feeling "immediately sick" and the bodies of a further four dead dogs were also found at various locations across the farm. After being contacted by the GBGB, RSPCA inspector Claire Mitchell and animal rescue officer (ARO) Daniel Richardson went to the farm.
Inspector Mitchell first found a very thin greyhound in the first kennel block, whose ribs, spine and backbone were all visible. She found a further three black greyhounds in another barn - all with very thin body conditions and with soiled pillows scattered across the floor. The pair also found numerous live and dead greyhounds in the main block of the kennel, who were all very thin.
Inspector Mitchell said in a witness statement: "Every single kennel in this kennel block was heavily soiled with faeces and urine, as was all the bedding for the greyhounds. The smell in the (main) kennel block was overpowering and almost unbearable."
ARO Richardson also said in a witness statement that the dogs were in "very poor body condition" and "several were unable to stand".
He said: "As we walked down the first row, we noticed nearly all of the pens had greyhounds in, several of which were deceased. There were living dogs in the kennels with the deceased dogs.
"The majority of the dogs were very skinny and several were unable to stand. I noticed the dogs were in very poor body condition, I noticed fur loss and sores on many of the dogs.
"One in particular had a nasty open wound on its front leg. I noticed several of the kennels containing deceased dogs that were in different stages of decay."
Perkins signed all the greyhounds in her care over to the RSPCA, where they are in the process of being rehomed. However, a collapsed brindle greyhound in a poor condition died before it reached a vet for treatment. Two more greyhounds were put to sleep that day after veterinary advice on welfare grounds and another greyhound had to be euthanised several days later.
An independent vet told the court: "I have been shown a number of photographs of the conditions all the dogs were living in and would say that their needs haven’t been met as required by good practice due to the heavily soiled living area. In my opinion all 37 dogs were suffering for a minimum of two weeks, but likely several weeks, possibly a couple of months, due to their multiple issues."
Perkins admitted causing 37 greyhounds to suffer unnecessarily as a result of her failure to secure veterinary attention addressing their poor body condition. She also admitted causing three of the greyhounds to suffer after failing to ensure vet care to address lameness and sores and to failing to provide a suitable, hygienic environment for 35 of the greyhounds.
In mitigation, the court heard that Perkins, of Burton Fleming, East Yorkshire, had been licensed to train greyhounds for 17 years. She also cited a recent health scare and financial issues.
Perkins was sentenced on June 27, when she was handed an 18-week custodial sentence for each of the offences concerning the greyhounds suffering unnecessarily. She was given a further 12-week prison sentence for the offence concerning the greyhounds’ unsuitable environment, which will run concurrently.
In addition to the jail term and a lifetime ban on keeping all animals, Perkins was ordered to pay a £187 victim surcharge.
