Couple Banned for Life After 145 Animals Found in Filth

A couple in Newport has been banned from owning animals for life following the discovery of 114 guinea pigs and 31 cats in their squalid home. Michael and Helen Weston admitted to five animal welfare offences and were given 12-week suspended prison sentences. The conditions were described by RSPCA chief inspector Emma Smith as the worst she had ever witnessed, with an overwhelming smell of faeces and ammonia. Some animals were found in broken cages, lacking food and water, while several cats exhibited flu-like symptoms and breathing difficulties.

Inspectors found guinea pigs stacked in broken cages and running loose, with one guinea pig found in an enclosure with no access to water and only shrivelled vegetables. Cats were found on all three floors of the house, in rooms with no natural light or ventilation. Sadly, six guinea pigs and six cats were too ill to survive their ordeal, but the remaining animals have been successfully rehomed. The court heard the situation escalated after the husband became ill and his wife became his carer.