Woman 'coerced' into using home to dump sick dogs

SSPCA inspectors discovered the abuse after receiving a call reporting concern for the dogs

A woman who was coerced by armed men into allowing her council house to be used to dump sick and injured dogs has been given a community sentence.

Emma Marshall kept 18 nearly-starving dogs, including XL Bullies and a dachshund, at the property in Falkirk, not even letting them go out to the toilet.

Marshall's solicitor said his client was classed as a vulnerable person and had been targeted.

The 39-year-old was sentenced to a six-month curfew, placed on social work supervision for two years, and banned from keeping dogs indefinitely.

One dog died in its cage within half an hour of being admitted to care and 11 had to be destroyed.

Sheriff Neil Kinnear told Falkirk Sheriff Court it was one of the worst cases of animal cruelty he had encountered.

'Dumping ground for dogs'

The sheriff said he accepted that Marshall was coerced by others she was scared of.

He said: "It is very clear from the report and the circumstances that you were put upon by others who effectively used you as a dumping ground for dogs that were already in poor condition.

"You were effectively coerced with force into keeping them."

Inspectors from the Scottish SPCA animal charity attended with social workers after receiving a call reporting concern for the dogs.

The court heard they were greeted by a stench of ammonia, and found dogs inside in "skeletal" condition with skin and ear diseases, coats ungroomed and matted with faeces and soaked in urine.

One animal was so starved and ill it was unable to stand.

And prosecutor Karen Chambers said officials described one female XL bully dog "looking like a bag of bones".

Some of the emaciated dogs were found to be 40% below their proper bodyweight.

The surviving dogs have been found new homes and three are still being looked after by the charity.

Marshall admitted 18 charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the animals, contrary to the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act.

Solicitor Gordon Addison, defending, said Marshall, the mother of a disabled child, was classed as a vulnerable person and had been targeted.

He said: "She doesn't really have any friends, but a person who was 'a friend of hers', to use the phrase in its most general way, invited her to look after her new boyfriend's dog while they were on holiday.

"This gentleman turned up at night after dark with two dogs.

"A fortnight later he came back, she thought to collect the dog, but with another two dogs and another man, and said 'Can you keep these as well?' and that's how it progressed."

He added: "On one occasion they were armed, so she was given no choice in the matter.

"She was the dumping ground for dogs that were unwell."

Mr Addison described having the animals in a small house as "absolutely brutal."

He said: "She was terrified. She's had to move four times and has had the assistance of the police in those moves. She is afraid to name these people.

"She wasn't able to take one or more of these dogs to the vet, because it would have opened a can of worms.

"Fear is the dominant theme in this whole case."