Woman kept mystery man's dogs in 'appalling' conditions until one died and her son called for help
A woman who neglected six dogs so badly they became poorly and one died has been banned from owning animals for 10 years, but narrowly avoided jail, after blaming a man she called 'Gangster' for foisting the dogs on her.
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Kelly Marie Jones, 42, told the authorities 'Gangster' had the dogs dropped off at her Tipton home in cages and ordered her to look after them.
Her young son was ordered by the man not to call a vet for the dogs even after they fell badly ill, a court heard. But after one of the poor dogs died, Jones' brave son phoned the RSPCA and asked the charity to help the surviving animals.
Jones was arrested but has never revealed the identity of 'Gangster', telling police she feared he would hurt her or her son.
Earlier this year at Dudley Magistrates Court she pleaded guilty to three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and one count of failing to provide a safe environment.
The extent of the neglect was such that the case was sent up to the crown court, sitting in Wolverhampton on Thursday.
RSPCA prosecutor Janita Patel told Judge Recorder Joanne Barker that the dogs in Jones' care had been suffering for weeks by the time they were rescued on December 6 of 2023, and that she had been visited earlier that year by the animal protection charity and given advice about how to provide a safe and healthy home for the dogs.
But the dogs continued to deteriorate, until the final call for help on December 5.
"The RSPCA received a call from Miss Jones' son," said Miss Patel. "There were five dogs at the address.
"He had been told by the person who left the animals not to contact the vet. He couldn't afford to feed the dogs so asked the RSPCA to retrieve the dogs."
An inspector visited the house in Tipton the following day, and was let onto the property after speaking with the son on the phone.
Before long she saw the dead body of a bull terrier crossbreed named Rocky on a bloodstained duvet, with vomit in and around his mouth. She immediately called the police and her RSPCA colleagues for backup.
Several police officers and RSPCA inspectors arrived soon after. The rest of the property was searched and a female bull terrier crossbreed, Roxy, was found severely underweight. The court heard she was 7kg below her ideal weight.
