Woman spared jail after puppies left in squalid caravan covered in faeces

A woman who left 35 puppies and a dog in a dilapidated caravan covered in faeces and without food or water has been spared jail over a string of animal welfare offences.

One dachshund puppy died days after being rescued from the mobile home in Eastbourne, East Sussex, in July 2021 and other dogs were treated by vets for malnourishment.

Body-worn camera footage released by Sussex Police shows officers rescuing the mix of labradors, dachshunds and French bulldogs and them desperately drinking water from a big bowl.

At Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday, Micaela Anderson-Letts was sentenced to 24 months in prison, suspended for two years, for causing unnecessary suffering for the dogs, along with 15 other animal-related crimes.

These included faking importation documents for under-age puppies and selling puppies without a licence in 2020, with adverts showing she had the potential to make £173,000 from the sales while misleading potential buyers over the reasons they were being sold.

On July 26 2021, police attended a car park after members of the public reported a large number of dogs in a caravan left in direct sunlight with the windows closed.

After the sentencing, Sussex Police investigating officer Marie Jenner said: “The whole floor was covered in faeces and urine-soaked cardboard. There were exposed wires, nails and screws, and broken pieces of wood and tools throughout. The conditions were completely uninhabitable.

“The dogs were retrieved from the caravan and placed in makeshift pens where we provided them with bowls of water. They were drinking uncontrollably, which gave an indicate of their desperation to rehydrate.

“A vet arrived on scene and explained that the dogs were suffering – and would continue to suffer if left in these conditions – and therefore they were seized under the Animal Welfare Act.”

The force added that the dachshund puppy’s cause of death was starvation and dehydration. It was one of 14 young dogs treated in hospital.

During sentencing, Judge Marcus Tregilgas-Davey said: “What is clear, investigations show Micaela Anderson-Letts was part of a Facebook group advertising these dogs for sale.

“It was clear she had these dogs for no other reason than to sell them on and make a profit.”

Police also discovered two dead pigs in the garden of the mother-of-one’s then home in Surbiton, south-west London, on May 19 2020 – during a Covid lockdown. She told officers the animals had died of illness seven days earlier.

They also found remains and other pigs still alive in hot sunshine in a pen too small for them to lie down, and without food or water.

The judge added: “On the one hand what you did was so disgraceful and uncaring to those animals in our view it should be an immediate custodial sentence.”

But the sentence was suspended for two years, taking into account her young child and caring responsibilities.

Providing mitigation for Anderson-Letts, David Langwallner said: “The most important mitigation there is some evidence that she is rebuilding her life, the responsibility of having a one-year-old child and being de facto carer for (her) 72-year-old mother.”

He also added that up until her offending she was a person of good character, and the judge also acknowledged evidence of her autism.

Anderson-Letts, of The Rowans, Sunbury-on-Thames, was also ordered to complete 300 hours unpaid work and up to 20 days rehabilitative activity, and was banned from owning animals or applying for licences involving animals.

After the sentencing, Pc Jenner added: “It transpired that Anderson-Letts had previously been issued an animal banning order and showed complete disregard to the judicial system by continuing to involve herself with puppies.

“After lots of hard work and dedication over the past three years, I am happy that this case has finally come to a conclusion.

“I would like to thank all staff and officers involved, the RSPCA inspectors, vets and vital witnesses who supported this investigation, along with members of the public who assisted in the rescue of these innocent puppies.

“After the appropriate veterinary treatment and care the dogs were rehomed to loving families.”