Woman banned from keeping animals for 10 years as pictures show 'appalling conditions' animals were kept in at sanctuary near Boston

Tamara Lloyd of the Alternative Animal Sanctuary in New York has been convicted of 16 offences of neglecting numerous animals.

More than 70 cats, 14 pigs, along with dogs, horses and terrapins were among the animals kept in ‘appalling conditions’ by Lloyd, 50.

The offences came to light after the RSPCA executed two separate warrants in May last year and January this year.

The RSPCA said last week that during the first warrant, 14 Vietnames pot-bellied pigs were found homed in an area described by the vet as being dirty., with faeces and urine accumulation and cluttered with debris and hazards.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said 70 cats did not have a suitable environment in which to live, surrounded by urine, faeces and ammonia, with some having no access to a suitable diet or fresh drinking water, and a boar was examined by a vet who noted a severely in-grown tusk.

Two cats were found to have suffered failing to seek appropriate veterinary care to explore and address an ear infection.

Five more cats were found to be suffering because of a failure to explore and address chronic dental disease.

Three dogs were suffering because of untreated and infected wounds on their bodies. Another dog, named Flo, was also found to be suffering because of a failure to explore and address a ligature injury to her leg.

Steps had not been taken to ensure a further three dogs were protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease. One dog had matted fur, heavily contaminated with mud, faeces and plant matter, which took two hours to remove while under a general anaesthetic.

Three horses were found to have have external parasites which hadn’t been treated, and a poor body condition, and had not had routine dental treatment, the spokesperson went on.

A number of animals were removed, and Lloyd was served with a number of improvement notices and arrangements made for the RSPCA to attend to check on the progress and welfare of the animals subject to those notices.

Over the following months, the RSPCA tried to work with her to reduce her animals and better care for those left, but after acquiring more animals she refused to engage and police executed a second warrant on 8 January this year.

Witnesses described the conditions at the premises as ‘appalling’. There were dead rats, overflowing filthy litter trays, a lack of water, stagnant dirty water, and hazards littering the environment.

The vets present concluded that the animals on site needed to be removed having seen obvious signs of disease and ill health, the spokesperson said.

As a result of this second warrant, further offences were uncovered, including causing unnecessary suffering to two dogs by failing to seek appropriate care for their ear infections, causing unnecessary suffering to a dog by failing to address dental disease, and causing unnecessary suffering to two horses through a failure to address their poor body condition.

She also failed to take reasonable steps to meet the needs of the same two horses to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease as evidenced by lack of parasite control and routine dental care.

Lloyd was also found to have caused unnecessary suffering to 10 terrapins by keeping them in an environment detrimental to their wellbeing.

The terrapins were seen and examined by a specialist vet, who described the environment in which they were kept as “slime and sludge covered the surface of the stagnant water, dead maggots were seen in excessive numbers floating on and under the water” adding that the smell from the water and building was “putrid” and found all had suffered for some considerable time due to their squalid environment, and were severely immunosuppressed.

There was also a failure to take reasonable steps in all the circumstances to meet the needs of eleven dogs for a suitable environment in which to live.

These dogs were living inside the main living quarters of the house, which was described as uncomfortably warm with a strong smell of ammonia and pools of urine on the floor.

There was heavy faecal and urine soiling throughout the downstairs with dirty bedding, empty food containers, a lack of sufficient water, hazards such as general clutter, rubbish and exposed nails.

A dog, who had just three legs, was found in a dark kennel with little ventilation, which was soiled with faeces and urine.

Lloyd also did not take reasonable steps in all the circumstances to meet the needs of seven cats for a suitable environment in which to live.

Despite there being fewer cats than on the previous warrant, the area contained dead rats, lack of ventilation, dirty overflowing litter trays, and faeces and urine over the floor. There were also hazards, assorted clutter and the environment was detrimental to the welfare of the cats

There was also a failure to take reasonable steps in all the circumstances to meet the needs of two pigs by providing a suitable diet including access to drinking water and a suitable environment in which to live.

The pot-bellied pigs were found to be obese and living in an area where faeces and urine had accumulated as well as debris and hazards, and dead rats, one of which was being chewed by the pigs. There was no provision of clean drinking water for the pigs and the feed for them was not suitable as was evidenced by their obese state.

In his verdict, District Judge Peter Veits said: “I find that she started with good intentions and clearly believed in the sanctity of life for her animals, but her issue here has been that she simply cannot say no.

“She needed to recognise that as a sole owner of the premises that her capacity to meet the needs of animals was limited. She either needed staff or less animals and by choosing to carry on she has undermined her sole purpose in that her failures have contributed to the suffering of animals.”

Lloyd, who was sentenced in Lincoln Magistrates Court on Thursday (10 September) following a trial where she was convicted of 16 offences and acquitted on one charge, was also given a two year conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge.

She has since lodged an appeal.