A judge has sentenced a UK dog breeder to 21 weeks in prison and ordered her to pay a £50,000 fine (US$62,400) after an animal rescue charity discovered she was keeping over 100 dogs in disgusting conditions in her home.
A shocking video filmed by the RSPCA revealed the horrendous situation in which Lynn Stoker was keeping the dogs – including cockerpoos, chihuahuas, bulldogs and shih-tzu crosses. Some of the dogs were in cramped cages piled on top of each other; others were living outside in the cold, in damp and filthy kennels without any bedding.
The neglected canines didn’t have enough clean water and were being fed unhealthy and unsuitable scraps of waste food. The dogs were taken into the care of the RSPCA, but some of them had undergone so much suffering that they had to be euthanized.
RSPCA Inspector Heidi Cleaver says that all the dogs had at least one health problem — including severe malnourishment, ear diseases and dental problems — and that when the team entered the house a multitude of dogs crowded around their rescuers’ feet.
“The house was chaotic and noisy and there was nowhere for any of the dogs to escape from each other,” Cleaver explains. “The dogs were fed on left-overs from an army base — for example bacon, sausages — which are full of saturated fat, high in salt and not conducive to a healthy and balanced diet.”
Stoker, from Byrness in Northumberland, was found guilty of 15 counts in total, including causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and failing to ensure an animal’s welfare needs were met. As well as the prison time and fine, Stoker was also prohibited from ever keeping animals again.
However, although it is certainly good news that Stoker won’t be able to harm any more animals in future, the sentence handed down was clearly too lenient, especially considering the suffering these dogs had to endure and the fact Stoker didn’t show ‘a shred of remorse or contrition.’
At least this woman has been given a prison sentence – unlike America where they might get a paltry fine or maybe a slap on the wrist. And hopefully she will be in jail with animal lovers who will maybe hand out their own form of punishment (hopefully!).
Cette tortionnaire doit être condamnée à de la prison ferme, fortes amendes avec interdiction “à vie” d’avoir ou d’approcher les animaux !
This person who has neglected these poor dogs and just received a short sentence will be at it again as they always are. Instead of the high fine it should be reversed and this person should go to prison for a lengthily time. I hope the fine will go towards these poor dog’s vet bills.
Horrific and disgusting cruelty.
Good for the UK.
Why isn’t this protocol followed here?
This is how cruel people should be dealt with!
I am sick of what creepy people get away with here in the US!
Just a little jail time, fine and can’t have any animals? What the hell!!! That’s not punishment! That’s just a slap on the wrist for causing so much cruelty to these beautiful innocent furbabies! That’s not justice for them! Not by a long shot!
When someone causes so much suffering over such a long period of time, and profits from it, it’s very unlikely they’re going to show remorse. I’m glad a life ban on keeping animals has been given, as Ms Stoker is unlikely to change.
Unfortunately 6 months is the maximum sentence possible in England and Wales at present. Legislation to increase it to 5 years, as it in Scotland, was halted by the prorogation of Parliament and the whole process will have to start again from scratch.
Yep, that’s exactly why this crap keeps going on and on and on. The morons who call themselves dealing out punishment for these creeps couldn’t be any dumber. This is exactly what is said time and time again. These pieces of crap gets slaps on the wrist. It doesn’t matter the amount of time these animals had spent suffering and the type of abuse, neglect and hardship they went through. Obviously the judge didn’t care about that. Must have had stupid cookies for lunch. These morons keep letting these twits off with a light sentence and think that is a good enough punishment. As I have been saying, and will always continue to say….THE LAWS ARE A BIG JOKE!!!!! All of society, especially the CRIMINALS knows it. We need to get all of these idiots out of the justice system who doesn’t know how to hand out justice. Fines and community service just don’t do it anymore, especially in cases like this. These animals had years of suffering and death and this nut job only gets 21 weeks? Don’t you just love the logical judicial system? They are all nuts in a handbasket!!!!!!! Yeah this will show these fools not to committ these acts of cruelty. 21 weeks ….. oh nohhhh.
Really 21 weeks ? What the hell kind of punishment is that ? No need to spend the rest of their natural life in a testing laboratory for the hell she did to these animals ! Laws suck and are not harsh enough to make this sickening behavior end –
Im so glad she’s going to jail. Too often these people just get a slap on the wrist.
Come on our justice system, grow a backbone and start giving PROPER sentences to ALL animal abusers, no matter how old they are or what excuses they give, just do it…….Glad to know that this piece of human trash will NOT be allowed to own any animals, just make sure she’s watched to make sure she COMPLIES with the ban. RIP innocent dogs that died through her neglect and abuse.
While the penalty (fine) is great, the prison time is laughable; only 21 weeks instead of 2-3 years. The welfare of animals still isn’t taken seriously enough for the courts to extend longer jail sentences, especially when conditions result in deaths.
So cruel shame on you hang your head in shame monster poor poor dogs 😭 😭 😭 😭
She should be in jail for at least 2 years….she cannot be rehabbed and knew exactly what she was doing.
Two very good things here-the dogs were rescued and the woman is being made to pay for their care. I really think this needs to happen more because rescues, etc. are have to pay for the damage that abusers cause and while they do it willingly they should not have to carry the financial burden. They care for many animals who need that money to eat and be healthy and happy.
21 weeks??????? Death penalty would be too good.
Treat abusers the same or feed them to lions crocs or sharks please. Only way to stop these evil barbaric savages harming innocent children and animals!!!!
Treat abusers the same or feed them to lions crocs or sharks please. Only way to stop these evil barbaric savages harming innocent children and animals!!!!
Should there not be a kind of ‘community service’ punishment – people can change. That she did not show remorse does not mean that she might never think differently about animal welfare.
Is there any reason why community service should not be handed out for animal cruelty? Treatment of animals is not part of a prison sentence, surely it should be?
As heinous as this is, she could change if she chose to. Look at how Saul in the New Testament changed!
She should be euthanized.
another insanely lenient sentence -can you Your honor justify 21 weeks against the years of suffering she caused to innocent animals ? WELL CLEARLY YOUR VERY POOR JUDGEMENT CALL SAYS YOU DID ! SHAME ON YOU .J
That’s the maximum he could give her until the law is changed, which was about to happen when Parliament was prorogued. Blame the Prime Minister, not the judge.
That’s the maximum he could give her until the law is changed, which was about to happen when Parliament was prorogued. Blame the Prime Minister, not the judge.
Stoker is laughing all the way to the bank. £50,000 is nothing. She must have made a fortune on the backs of these innocent animals. As for the silly sentence it was all worth it. Soon she will be as free as a bird unlike her previous victims. Any prisoners she comes across lets hope they are animal lovers.
This sentence is PITIFUL…what the hell is wrong with people…and the courts…kARMA…!!!!!
wonderful – one respectful person so far with a human heart and brain!
RESPECTFUL MAN, THANK YOU FOR DOING THE RIGHT SENTENCE.
Prison sentence is just a joke.
The sentence is indeed good news to everyone, & all dogs present & past. However, her jail time is too lenient. Dogs lost their lives, i feel that is worth more than 21 wks!!.. Someone should make sure she pays that money, & it should go to animal rescue!!
SPAY AND NEUTER. ADOPT DON’T SHOP. HOW FREAKING HARD IS THAT????
Thank God these punishments are stronger and these greedy rotten bastards are being jailed fined and banned from owning these precious creatures. Thank you to all who made this possible.