“When are Judges going to man up, grow a pair & start kicking some ass? Suspended sentence for 12 months, why the hell do they bother mentioning prison if the culprit isn’t going? The RSPCA has lost cost of over £4,000, the culprit should be made to pay the full vet fees & any hospitalization for animals in a mess under the culprits care. Oh, lets not forget the terrible sentence of having to do some unpaid work, boo hoo! No cats for 10 years, well that’s not too long, she can have dogs or rabbits until then! 

“Seriously, what is the point of taking these cases to court if the person doesn’t have to pay for their crime. There is little wonder charity’s like the RSPCA don’t take all cases to court…they can’t bloody afford to. Jail should mean Jail, unpaid work should be back-breaking work, shovelling shit at a rescue farm, & no animals, well that should be for life! These people let animals suffer & die…with the judicial system as it is, there is no wonder there are so many at it, the punishment is no deterrent at all!!”

“I am so bloody sick of hearing excuses like “got into problems, couldn’t afford to feed them, got ill…so fxxxxxg what!!! I’m retired, due to being disabled & have to get by with disability benefits. Most days I’m bed bound, yet my 3 dogs & 2 horses still get the best of care, just because I’m ill is no excuse to not feed or care for them, you get help from family or friends. But if you’re in that situation in the first place, animals are the last thing you need, they are expensive to keep. If I couldn’t afford to care for mine, then, as much as it would break my heart, if  friends couldn’t take them, I would contact the RSPCA to help me, before they started to become sick & skinny.. .that’s what you do when you really love animals…you put their health & care first!!!

A jobless mum who took in more than 30 cats has been banned from keeping them for 10 years after being found guilty of animal cruelty.

Julie Newnham, 38, advertised her home on the internet as being a haven for unwanted animals.

Scores of people who could no longer care for their pets took them to her thinking they would lead a healthy and safe life.

Why does she look like she is wearing a cat?

However, Newnham – pictured right – has now been found guilty of a string of animal cruelty charges – but spared an immediate jail sentence.

When RSPCA inspectors went to her home, in Homeside, Borrows Lane, Middle Stoke, on the Isle of Grain, after a tip-off they found four cats in very poor condition.They were emaciated, flee-ridden and had sores and ulcers. One cat – called Ruby – was so ill, she had to be put down.

There were said to be 33 cats at Newnham’s home as well as two dogs owned by her husband.

The cats were also suffering from diarrhoea. Some had sores, had suffered hair loss and were covered in faeces.

Newnhan allowed the cats to be taken by the RSPCA inspectors. They were all taken to a vet and given emergency treatment and pain relief. Unfortunately, Ruby did not recover and had to be put down.

RUBY – Julie Newnham’s cat ruby was so emaciated she had to be put down

Newnham was charged with four counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and two counts of failing in her duty of care as she was responsible for ensuring the animal’s welfare.

She was found guilty in her absence after not turning up for a court hearing in September. A warrant was issued for her arrest and she was brought back before the courts a few days later.

Her case was adjourned to allow pre-sentencing reports to be completed and she was sentenced before magistrates in Medway.

Andrew Wiles, prosecuting for the RSPCA said: “The cats were extremely thin and sneezing and suffering hair loss and diarrhoea. Some were covered in faeces and had large flee burdens.

“One cat had discharged coming out of his eyes and was very thin, and had a ulcer in the right eye, it was at risk of losing it if the ulcer had burst.”

Mr Wiles said the total cost of the treatment for the cats and the subsequent investigation to the charity was more than £5,200 – and asked magistrates to consider awarding costs.

Jeremy Betts, defending, told the court Newnham had good intentions when she took in the cats, but did not have the means or finances to deal with them if they became ill.

He told magistrates she had overstretched herself and that she no longer advertises her services on-line  He said the cats’ ill treatment was not a deliberate act and that his client just could not cope.

Magistrates jailed Newnham for 12 weeks – but suspended the sentence for 12 months – and banned her from keeping cats for 10 years. She was also ordered to carry out 240 hours’ unpaid work and pay a contribution of £1,202.80 towards the charity’s costs.

Magistrate John Weir said: “Any right thinking person would have realised that these cats needed help.”

News Link:–http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2012/october/12/julie_newnham.aspx