Barker v Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Subject Matter

ANIMAL — Dog — Protection — Animal welfare officers visiting defendants’ home and finding dogs infested with fleas in squalid conditions — Defendants pleading guilty to failing to take reasonable steps to ensure needs of dogs met — Magistrates’ court disqualifying defendants from owning animals for seven years — Crown Court dismissing defendants’ appeal but varying order to enable defendants to keep terrapins — Whether all animals disqualification order wrong in principle — Whether disqualification order appropriate — Animal Welfare Act 2006 (c 45), ss 9, 34

[2018] EWHC 880 (Admin); [2018] PTSR 1582; [2018] WLR(D) 254, QBD