THIS is the horrifying moment a dog was rescued after being abandoned in a “cesspit” of “thick sludge” by its negligent owner, who has now received a lifetime ban on keeping animals.
German Shepherd Bella, who is three years old, was discovered in a pitch black kitchen surrounded by her own urine and faeces with filth dripping from the walls and ceilings.
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Bella, 3, was discovered in squalid conditions at a property in Lancashire Credit: MEN Media
The three German Shepherds were found covered in their own faeces and urine Credit: MEN Media
Heart-wrenching footage released by the RSPCA shows her frozen in terror lying on a towel before being taken for emergency treatment.
Two other dogs, Tyson and Duke, were rescued from the squalid conditions; the rotting body of a fourth dog was discovered in a padlocked shed in the garden.
Owner Charles Bruce, from Lancashire, has now been banned from keeping animals for life after his shockingly cruel treatment of the animals.
He was handed a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting two offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
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RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Lee Ferrans said the conditions were the worst he had ever witnessed Credit: MEN Media
Bella had to be resuscitated after she was found having a seizure and shaking uncontrollably at Bruce’s flat Credit: MEN Media
He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £4,184 in costs, plus a £154 victim surcharge.
The discovery followed Lancashire Police‘s emergency search warrant at the property on March 25 last year after an RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer raised concerns about the dogs’ welfare, the court heard.
Adam Wormwell had noticed a strong smell of decomposing body coming from the shed.
Upon closer inspection, the officer noticed the hind legs of the deceased dog wrapped in a blanket.
Two RSPCA officers were shown around the property later that day, with Bruce, 59, warning them: “Just so you know the kitchen isn’t great at the minute.”
RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Jess Pierce told the court: “I walked into the living room which was dirty and had multiple hazards, there was a strong smell of ammonia and faeces.
“Mr Bruce then walked ahead and opened the door to the kitchen.”
She said that two “young looking” German Shepherds came running out of his room, clearly desperate to escape and covered in their own waste.
While Bella and Tyson are now thriving again, sadly Duke succumbed to his injuries Credit: MEN Media
Bruce conceded that the living conditions would have caused the dogs considerable suffering Credit: MEN Media
“I then heard Mr Bruce say, ‘I think another one’s died’,” she said.
“I moved forward and looked into the kitchen, I could see a mix of faeces and urine on the floor, it was like a thick sludge.”
The room was “completely dark” and hard to breathe in, she added.
Bella was reportedly having a seizure and shaking uncontrollably when the officers arrived.
“I quickly ran to my van and opened my kennel and told him to bring her out,” said Jess, who whisked Bella away for emergency treatment at Vets for Pets in Colne where she was resuscitated.
After five days on a regular feeding plan, the poorly German Shepherd slowly began to recover.
Tyson and Duke were also taken to the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, with an emaciated Duke sadly succumbing to his condition later.
Tyson – who was significantly underweight and soaked in faeces and urine – was groomed and washed and put on an antibiotic course.
The body of the deceased dog in the shed was too decomposed for any meaningful post-mortem examination, magistrates heard.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Lee Ferrans said the conditions were the worst he had ever witnessed.
He told the court: “To me Bella looked dead, her jaw was swinging wide open and her eyes rolling into the back of her head.
“She was completely limp and lifeless and was dripping with the thick sludge, no part of her looked dry. “
In her written evidence to the court, the vet said the dogs had all suffered unnecessarily for weeks because of severe weight loss, inadequate care and an unsuitable living environment.
In his interview with the RSPCA, Bruce conceded that the dogs’ living conditions were unacceptable and that they would have been suffering.
In mitigation it was said that Bruce had difficult family issues and was suffering from poor mental health.
The Branch’s Fostering Co-ordinator Lily Dickinson, said: “Bella and Monty were both understandably traumatised by what they’d experienced and it took us weeks to continue to build up their weight and get them back to full health.
“We decided to rehome the dogs separately as it became clear when they were in our care that they were not particularly bonded.
“They needed families who were going to be patient with them and committed to supporting their ongoing recovery.”
Speaking after sentencing Deputy Chief Inspector Pierce said: “This harrowing job will stay with me for the rest of my career.
“To see those dogs desperate to get out of the squalid room they were being kept in, and to then find Bella behind them on the floor was heart breaking.
“I honestly believed she was dying there and then.
“I’m so grateful to the amazing veterinary teams who treated her and Monty, they are the reason they are alive and well today.”
