Five year ban for woman who kept 88 rabbits in "atrocious" conditions (From Bournemouth Echo)
When news happens text pix and video to 80360. Start your message with BE then leave a space.
Five year ban for woman who kept 88 rabbits in "atrocious" conditions
7:56am Friday 26th October 2012 in News By Arron Hendy
Five year ban for woman who kept 88 rabbits in "atrocious" conditions
A FAST food worker who kept 88 rabbits in “atrocious” conditions has been banned from keeping them for five years.
Charlene Blackley spent all her spare money from her job at McDonald’s in Alder Hills as she tried in vain to care for the animals.
She said she loved them and was heartbroken by the ban.
The 29-year-old kept 59 of her pets outside and 29 in her bedroom at her parents’ home in Grange Gardens in Poole. She admitted two charges of failing to provide the animals with a suitable environment and two counts of failing to provide them with a suitable diet.
Matthew Knight, prosecuting for the RSPCA at Bournemouth magistrates’ court, said she used the rabbits as an “emotional crutch” after her relationship with her boyfriend ended.
He said the conditions in the upstairs room were “atrocious” with the pets in cramped hutches lacking bedding, food and water before the 88 rabbits were removed on July 5.
RSPCA officers later discovered Blackley had hidden a further five of them.
Mr Knight said there was a smell of ammonia with faeces and flies in the bedroom, with the smell “almost overwhelming”.
A statement from visiting vet Alix Heady said: “The window was shut with curtains closed and there were numerous flies.”
She added: “All the cages were dirty with varying amounts of compacted faeces present.”
The vet found a mother rabbit with six young, one of which later had to be put down.
“The kitten was collapsed, lying on its side and comatose,” she added.
Harvey Withecombe, defending, said Blackley, who cried through parts of the hearing, was now looking after 11 rabbits at her new address in Rochester Road in Poole.
He asked magistrates to defer sentencing to see how she coped with the animals and how she responded to counselling.
Mr Whitccombe said banning her “would take this young woman’s world away”.
But Kathleen McNally, chairman of the bench, said she was imposing the ban to protect the animals from neglect.
Charlene Blackley said she could not give any of her 93 rabbits up before as she “loved them so much”.
After being banned from keeping rabbits for five years, she told the Echo how she had wanted to work with animals and hopes to have rabbits again when her ban expires.
She said: “It looks like I ill treated them but I tried to clean them as much as I could but it got on top of me.
“I was working as well and was spending all my wages on them.”
The restaurant worker said she lost a rabbit given to her by her boyfriend before they split up and people started giving her the pets.
Some of the rabbits were kept in hutches in her bedroom until she started sleeping downstairs.
She added: “I tried to look after them but it just got too much.
“I find it a lot easier to look after the ones I’ve got now but it’s so unfair they are going to take them away.
“I feel victimised and it’s heartbreaking.”
Comments(19)
PooleParky
says...
9:10am Fri 26 Oct 12
Twingo
says...
10:52am Fri 26 Oct 12
How long do rabbits live? Will they all be moving back in 2012?
Adrian XX
says...
10:53am Fri 26 Oct 12
A fast food worker who kept 88 rabbits
Anyone thought their hamburger tasted "a bit like chicken" recently?
Mr N James
says...
10:58am Fri 26 Oct 12
elite50
says...
11:36am Fri 26 Oct 12
What has just occurred typifies the problems that we have.
The R.S.P.C.A. rushes headlong into court, prosecuting at great expense, some poor woman who needs help.
It appears that these do-gooding creeps have not the smallest amount of humanity in them.
Human beings are animals too.
Why not take the R.S.P.C.A. to court for cruelty?????
BROCKSDAD
says...
11:53am Fri 26 Oct 12
Spot on, the rspca only picks on the weakest members of society.
Letcommonsenseprevail
says...
11:54am Fri 26 Oct 12
elite50 wrote:It official. elite50 has gone bonkers........
Rather than worry about the ******* rabbits why not worry about the mental state of the young lady? What has just occurred typifies the problems that we have. The R.S.P.C.A. rushes headlong into court, prosecuting at great expense, some poor woman who needs help. It appears that these do-gooding creeps have not the smallest amount of humanity in them. Human beings are animals too. Why not take the R.S.P.C.A. to court for cruelty?????
elite50
says...
12:06pm Fri 26 Oct 12
LetcommonsenseprevaiI didnt know that you were a rabbit!
l wrote:
elite50 wrote:It official. elite50 has gone bonkers........
Rather than worry about the ******* rabbits why not worry about the mental state of the young lady? What has just occurred typifies the problems that we have. The R.S.P.C.A. rushes headlong into court, prosecuting at great expense, some poor woman who needs help. It appears that these do-gooding creeps have not the smallest amount of humanity in them. Human beings are animals too. Why not take the R.S.P.C.A. to court for cruelty?????
But, then again!
Karma1
says...
12:34pm Fri 26 Oct 12
elite50
says...
1:02pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Karma1 wrote:You think that SHE dosent need help?
She can not be helped as she will not take advice! It is hopeless she had one which she would not neuter. When asked how she would manage with more and a job she decided to take on much more despite knowing she wouldn't be able to cope. She cares about animals????? Pity the poor animals she has in the future and I feel for her the future will come soon ban or no ban!
Pity the poor HUMAN BEING!
You are obviously one of these obtuse people who seem to think that a rabbit is worth more than the well-being of one of your own species.
Maybe you need help too!
Take a look at what you people are saying!
You HAVE to be kidding.
Who in their right mind moves out of their bedroom to house 80+ rabbits?
You lot, gird your loins and ATTACK.
How sick are you?
Karma1
says...
1:59pm Fri 26 Oct 12
The animals have a right to food and care there are people and places which would take them if they are aware it isn't difficult to pick up a phone. The RSPCA does not go in guns blazing they go in and offer advice and help at least twice before taking action.
This person took on more despite knowing she could not cope and asked for more and rabbits with the intent of breeding them refusing to accept advice help.
It it not helpful to be blinkered in your views and use this to create an argument. I am stating fact not supposition.
Knowing that she was living with her parents as stated above where was the help from them?
Sick or not these are the facts.
elite50
says...
2:16pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Karma1 wrote:Did you try to defend this person in court?
This person was offered help on more than one occassion if a person won't accept it what can you do? There are numerous aggencies which are there to help but the person has to accept it!
The animals have a right to food and care there are people and places which would take them if they are aware it isn't difficult to pick up a phone. The RSPCA does not go in guns blazing they go in and offer advice and help at least twice before taking action.
This person took on more despite knowing she could not cope and asked for more and rabbits with the intent of breeding them refusing to accept advice help.
It it not helpful to be blinkered in your views and use this to create an argument. I am stating fact not supposition.
Knowing that she was living with her parents as stated above where was the help from them?
Sick or not these are the facts.
I bet you didn't.
You (and your ilk) are more interested in a bunch of rabbits.
Then you come onto this site and try to justify your actions.
My comments are not about trying to create an argument but to try and show that your pathetic attempts to save a few rabbits at the expense of a PERSON who needs help is not only disgusting but is also immoral.
What would you do if it was a close member of your family?
When do rabbits come second?
Karma1
says...
2:59pm Fri 26 Oct 12
elite50
says...
3:48pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Karma1 wrote:I am not interested in starting a fight but I would like you to answer my question.
Ok you are just into this for the thrill of an argument. I though the purpose of this page was to comment not start a fight. I really hope you don't have animals.
I find this whole story immoral, disgusting and beneath contempt. People who can actually stand up and go into bat for a bunch of rabbits whilst a HUMAN BEING is obviously in need of help is beyond comprehension.
I hate to tell you this but I, my wife, kids and grandkids are all mammals (e.g animals) and if any one of them needed help they would get it.
If that meant killing 80 rabbits, cats, dogs (not people) thats what I would do.
I dont know (or care) what you would do.
I would however like you to answer my original question. Have you the character to do so?
Twingo
says...
3:50pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Twingo wrote:Should say 2017 obviously, why would that be auto-corrected?
"A FAST food worker who kept 88 rabbits in “atrocious” conditions has been banned from keeping them for five years."
How long do rabbits live? Will they all be moving back in 2012?
Huey
says...
3:55pm Fri 26 Oct 12
That'll teach her.
What a feckless cruel idiot, she sickens me.
elite50
says...
11:53pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Huey wrote:Cruel?
She should be locked up in the same condition she kept her rabbits in.
That'll teach her.
What a feckless cruel idiot, she sickens me.
Take a look in the mirror mate.
Ever heard of compassion for the sick?
I feel compassion for her and the sicko's who want to take revenge on a person with mental problems (that does of course inlclude "you know who").
BIGTONE
says...
9:11am Sat 27 Oct 12
Has Skid Row changed Boroughs as well?
Mr N James says...
8:41am Fri 26 Oct 12