Mother and daughter ban on keeping animals
12.05.25
A mother and daughter have been disqualified from keeping animals indefinitely after their pets were found in filthy and unhygienic conditions at their home in Leeds.
Helen Martin was also given an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, after she also admitted breaching a disqualification order after she was banned from keeping animals for life in 2018.
Magistrates were told that RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Aleesha Haddlesey and local authority housing officers had gone to the property to do a follow-up visit on 25 July last year after the defendants had been issued with a warning notice three days earlier to clean up the living environment and take one of the dogs to a vet to get treatment for his skin.
In her written statement to the court, ARO Haddlesey said: "The conditions in the front room were unsuitable and there was a strong smell of ammonia. There were faeces and urine on the floor and rubbish and clutter everywhere. I asked to see the cats and followed Fiona Martin upstairs. My boots were squelching due to the stairs being soaked in urine.
"The conditions were just as bad as downstairs. The cats were locked in the bathroom. They were both bright, active and alert but skittish. I saw one litter box that was covered with multiple faeces and there was no food or water available.
"Fiona Martin said the cats didn’t have access outside of the bathroom. I asked her if any of the other rooms in the house were in a better condition. She advised her bedroom was but she would be unwilling to put the animals in there."
The court was told that a vet was sent images of the inside of the property. She confirmed the animals were suffering or likely to suffer if their circumstances didn’t change. Helen Martin agreed to let the RSPCA officer take them for veterinary treatment and they were immediately transferred to Greater Manchester Animal Hospital.
A vet who examined the animals - a black and tan German Shepherd called Lady, a grey and tan male French bulldog called Tyson, a tabby and white female cat called Angel and a male black cat named Oxo - said it was her opinion that Fiona and Helen Martin had failed to meet their needs by providing them with a suitable environment.
In her written statement to the court, she said: "The photographs show a very dirty, cluttered, unhygienic living space, which carries the risk of injury and disease. The dog called Tyson had signs of skin irritation caused by flea infestation with redness, scabs and fur loss. As the animals lived in the same household it is likely all were experiencing flea bites but Tyson had the most serious reaction to these.
"There was a strong smell of ammonia noted and faeces could be seen on the floor and in large amounts in the litter tray. Both dogs and cats are very inclined to keep themselves clean and to toilet away from their living and resting areas. Cats consistently prefer to use a clean litter tray, and therefore these conditions would likely cause mental distress and not allow them to fulfil normal behaviours.
"The environment did not contain any water or animal food available in the house, which is another way in which their owners failed to meet the animals’ basic needs. Although the cats may have been able to access some water outside, the dogs should have had free access to water in the property at all times to prevent thirst and possible dehydration."
Fiona Martin was given a 12-month Community Order, up to ten Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days and ordered to pay costs of £400 and a £114 victim surcharge.
In mitigation magistrates were told she had provided "well-meaning but incompetent care" and it was possible the court would conclude that not only was the property unsuitable for animals but also unfit for human habitation.
Magistrates told Helen Martin, who was also given 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days, that she had deliberately made the decision to own animals and they were satisfied she knew she was disqualified when doing so. Martin maintained that she believed the first disqualification order was related to someone else. The court was told she was in poor health and was at low risk of re-offending.
The cats were cared for and rehomed by the RSPCA’s Leeds, Wakefield & District Branch. Tyson was rehomed by the RSPCA’s Doncaster and Rotherham Branch and Lady by the RSPCA’s Altrincham Branch.
Speaking after the case, RSPCA Inspector Joanne Taylor, said: "The animals were living in wholly unacceptable conditions and were not having their most basic needs met. The seriousness of this case was compounded by the fact that one of the defendants was keeping pets when she knew a lifetime disqualification order was in place preventing her from doing so."
