Police raided a home in North Northamptonshire and found a total of 167 pets trapped in disgusting cages, a distressing video captured on the officers’ body cameras revealed. Responding to a 999 call reporting an awful smell and flies swarming around the windows, the police rushed to the scene on Cromwell Road in Rushden. However, the scene they encountered inside was truly heart-wrenching, leaving one female officer to admit: “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The officers were shocked to find rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, mice, guinea pigs, and birds crammed together in filthy and unsuitable conditions.
Shockingly, some of the pets were even sharing cages with dead animals.
After arriving at the house, the officer said: “Oh my God. There are birds, ferrets, rats, all sorts in every single room, that clearly, obviously cannot remain.”
The officer continued: “There’s no proper food, look at the state of that, that’s gross. Poor little things. This is disgusting. I just want to take them all home. These poor animals. Oh my gosh.
“Some of them have literally got no water, no nothing. It’s just minging. Everything is just minging. This is horrible. Poor animals.”
In February of this year, as they moved through the small house, the officers encountered a distressing scene where numerous cages containing animals were stacked on top of each other in every room.
Kim Starks, a 61-year-old resident of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was identified as the individual responsible for the animals and faced charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Additionally, he was charged with violating a lifetime disqualification order prohibiting him from owning or caring for animals, which had been imposed in February 2000.
On February 28 of this year, Starks pleaded guilty to both charges in Northampton Magistrates’ Court.
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However, while awaiting sentencing, he was arrested again after being found responsible for several horses, a donkey, as well as numerous rabbits and guinea pigs in a field located in Hannington.
The 61-year-old faced further charges of breaching the banning order and causing unnecessary suffering to a horse.
He admitted guilt for all the charges and was handed a 34-week prison sentence, which was suspended for two years, last Friday.
A forfeiture order was issued for all the animals involved, and Starks was also instructed to pay £5,489.59 as compensation.
His disqualification order was continued, meaning he cannot own, keep, deal in or transport any animals.
PC Chloe Gillies, of Northamptonshire Police’s rural crime team, said: “When officers first attended the house in Rushden they were faced with a house filled with animals, all in terrible living conditions – there were a total of 167 living creatures packed into cages stacked on top of each other, all over the property.
“While I’m disappointed this wasn’t an immediate custodial sentence, I’m very glad that the poor animals Starks was utterly failing to care for have been removed from him and will now have the chance to live healthy, happy lives.
“I would also like to thank the RSPCA for all their assistance in this case, all the vets involved, and all those involved in the transport and boarding facilities for all the animals.
“It was a team effort to rescue all these animals.
“The number of animals involved in this case was truly shocking and I am pleased that they have now been given the opportunity to find loving, caring homes.
“I hope this case shows our commitment to protecting animal welfare – if we receive information that someone who is banned from keeping animals is breaching that, or committing other offences under the Animal Welfare Act, we will investigate.”
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