This concerns the UK. A married couple who left their pets at home alone while they went on a two-week holiday have been banned from keeping animals for 12 years.
When the RSPCA inspected the home of David Wicks, 41, and his wife Zara, 38, in Chessington, Surrey, on September 6 last year they found one emaciated cat dead. Another cat and dog were hungry and neglected. The couple admitted animal welfare charges at Wimbledon magistrates Court.
Mr Hicks had previously tried to blame his mother-in-law, claiming that she was meant to care for the animals. The couple were also given suspended sentences.
The source of this article is the times newspaper on Saturday, March 25 2017. I don’t have photos.
Comment: To any decent cat lover this story is astonishing. Perhaps what Mr Hicks has said is true and that he did try and make arrangements for his mother-in-law to look after the cats and dog while away on holiday. However, the court decided that that was a feeble excuse and that they simply neglected to make arrangements. That being the case, it is baffling to me how somebody could do this. How could a person have a good holiday knowing that their cats and dog are starving to death at the same time.
Well, the already emaciated dead cat tells me the whole story. They cared little for their pets. No cat becomes emaciated in 2 weeks’ time.
This couple had no business with any animal.
The mother-in-law story doesn’t fly with me either.
If they had truly cared, they would have hired a reliable person to caregive.
Lock ’em up!
When we went on vacation-when our children were small-we took our pets and the kids with us. Our redpoint Siamese was a hit wherever we went, he and the dogs all walked on leashes and allowed strangers to pet them. Our other cats preferred to watch out the camper and trailer windows. As the kids grew, they preferred to stay home (and so did I). I enjoyed vacations with the WHOLE family and most of the pets did also.
I found the original article here:
http://m.surreymirror.co.uk/surrey-couple-who-left-pets-alone-for-2-weeks-while-they-went-on-holiday-banned-from-keeping-animals/story-30224495-detail/story.html
Thanks. I could have done that myself!
Yeah, M E King, in this day of unlimited cell phone usage, cheap DIY security systems and every third teenager offering pet-sitting service, there’s no excuse; the RSPCA is right and they see this stuff all the time I bet.
You guys always remind me of my own stories.
I actually absconded with a neighbors’ elder cat when THEY went off on vacation for two weeks and left him outside alone with no food or water. The neighbor who ratted them out to me also ratted me out to them after they returned. “Shelby’s” owner then called the police who banged on my door, threatening to throw me in jail, and I said fine, I’ll fight this! My then girlfriend also turned on me, saying “You’re not going to jail over a cat!”. The police talked the owner into at least paying me for the vet bills if I’d return the cat without a fight… I hadn’t called Animal Control to back me up and my GF wouldn’t take care of Shelby, so I had to relent, reluctantly. Shelby was such a cool cat too!
I keep a constant string of text messages with our sitter. Most reputable pet sitters now offer a short video daily or pictures. Other pet parents put in a nanny cam. so they can check in themselves.
Well-it’s bad enough if you take a vacation and return to find your pet sick or worse; but to deliberately leave without making preparations for their welfare shows lack of love or concern.
HOW? could you go away and enjoy yourself, knowing the other family members left alone would be neglected????
Eva-I just can’t understand.My Maine Coons are twelve+ in age and whenever they need something-I’m right there taking care of them. If we go away on a weekend trip, We hire a babysitter *
Eva say’s
Sad to say that too many people see animals as possessions and not part of the family.
If what they said about mother-in-law is true, I’d disown mine. Same goes for anyone who said they would keep an eye on my pets.
If they really cared they’d have made sure their companion animals were looked after. That’s what I think.