Sheffield family banned from keeping animals after 22 neglected pets found in filth, with one chained to chair

Linda Robinson, 65, Dean Robinson, 30, and Joanna Beth Robinson, 27, were each sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on Friday, August 9. The trio, all from Adlington Road, Parson Cross, were also ordered to undertake up to 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.

In addition, Dean and Joanna were sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay costs of £400 each, along with a £154 victim surcharge. The Robinsons have been disqualified from keeping any animals indefinitely, with a minimum period of five years before they can appeal.

The Robinsons were found guilty of failing to meet the needs of 18 animals and causing unnecessary suffering to five dogs and one cat. Among the neglected animals was a Labrador named Prince, who was discovered chained to a broken sofa, suffering from dermatitis and significant fur loss around his neck due to a choke chain and shock collar.

Other animals included a black and white cat named Spot, who had severe skin disease; a Yorkshire Terrier named Teddy, who suffered from dental disease; a Shih Tzu named Finn, who had ear and dental disease; a male Shih Tzu type dog named Groot, who had chronic dermatitis for at least eight weeks without receiving veterinary treatment; and a Chihuahua named Jem, who suffered from dental disease, an eye ulceration, osteoarthritis, and a severe heart murmur, which ultimately led to him being put to sleep.

Investigating officer inspector Jack Taylor said: “This was a very sad case involving a large number of animals who were being kept in wholly unsuitable, filthy conditions. I saw a Labrador called Prince who was chained to a broken sofa, cats kept in cages full of faeces, and many of the animals had overgrown claws, were caked in dirt and faeces from walking around the squalid house and many had dental issues. All the animals I saw had a large flea infestation and many had fur loss from scratching at their fur.”

Inspector Taylor, along with his colleagues and the police, attended the property in September 2023 to rescue the animals. This followed visits from the RSPCA during the previous year when the charity had attempted to give the family advice on how to care for their animals properly, including giving them a warning notice.

Inspector Taylor, along with colleagues and police, rescued 22 animals from the property, including 13 dogs, five cats, two rats, a snake, and a hamster. Tragically, a white hamster named Timmy and two dogs, Gizmo and Jem, had to be put to sleep to end their suffering. The remaining animals were signed over and rehomed by the RSPCA.

Speaking of entering the property for the final time, Inspector Taylor added: “There was a strong smell of faeces and urine coming from inside the house. The living room was in a worse condition than before and the air was difficult to breathe in from the smell of ammonia.

“There were dogs running, barking, yapping and jumping around, and fighting with one another. My colleague Inspector Booth looked underneath a dirty sheet over the sofa and saw two crates full of faeces with heavily soiled towels and a dirty plastic dish. The cages were not big enough to house a cat in for any length of time. The cats were not in there currently but Linda Robinson said the cats were put in the cages overnight to protect them from the dogs.

“The whole of the downstairs property was squalid and horrendous. Every surface was covered in urine and faeces. The floor was so thickly covered it had created what looked like some kind of brown floor covering but it was in fact trodden down faeces. There was an overpowering smell of ammonia that stung my eyes and made it difficult to be inside the property for any length of time as it was very unpleasant to breathe inside the house.”

In court, it was revealed that the Robinsons had pleaded guilty early and were experiencing financial difficulties at the time of the offences. Dean and Joanna’s mother had recently passed away, leaving the family with substantial funeral expenses, and Linda Robinson was suffering from a deteriorating health condition with no financial support.

Joanna, the only working family member, struggled to support the family and the pets, leading to hard choices regarding veterinary care. Despite the financial struggles, the court noted the Robinsons' reluctance to explore alternative options for their pets, considering them part of the family unit.

In sentencing remarks, the Lay Justices said: “These were horrendous conditions where animals really did suffer in our view.”