RSPCA find decomposing animals in dog breeder's home

Dog breeder, 35, is banned from keeping animals for 10 years after RSPCA find 17 decomposing dogs, cats and rabbits in his home

  • Mark Blackburn, 35, pleaded guilty to four animal welfare offences in court 
  • RSPCA found the bodies of 17 decomposing dogs, cats and rabbits in his home
  • Inspectors  were called to the property in Eccles, Salford, by the police in 2019

A dog breeder has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after the RSPCA found the bodies of 17 decomposing dogs, cats and rabbits in his home. 

Inspectors from the RSPCA were called to the property of Mark Blackburn in Eccles, Salford, by the police in December 2019 where they discovered the dead animals. 

RSPCA Inspector Danni Jennings, who said she could smell dead bodies before even entering the house, found decomposed Akita dogs throughout the house and three pug type dogs in various stages of decomposition.

She also discovered a number of cardboard boxes containing dead rabbits, and four dead cats – all of whom appeared to have been left without food or water. 

Mark Blackburn, 35, pleaded guilty to four animal welfare offences at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on September 14.

He was issued a ten-year ban on keeping animals and also given four months custody, suspended for 6 months for each offence. The sentences are to run concurrently. 

RSPCA inspectors found the bodies of 17 decomposing dogs, cats and rabbits at the home of Mark Blackburn

Upon arrival to the property, in Eccles, Salford, the RSPCA found decomposed Akita dogs throughout the house and three pug type dogs

Upon arrival to the property Inspector Jennings said the kitchen contained another decomposed Akita and a cardboard box with a dead rabbit inside.

Two further dead rabbits were found in cardboard boxes in the hallway, again with no food or water present.

Searching upstairs, Inspector Jennings found another decomposed Akita in one bedroom, and found the remains of four dead and decomposing cats in another.

Five live Akitas were also found at the property, but they were all underweight, and three needed drips inserting as they were dehydrated.

Inspector Jennings said: ‘Before I entered the property I noted an obvious smell consistent with dead bodies.

‘In the living room directly off the hallway on the right, there was a dead, black adult rabbit in a wooden box. This box contained no food or water.

‘Under the window, behind a bed head was another dead, black, adult rabbit. In the middle of this room, was a decomposing, what appeared to be a pug type dog.

‘This dog appeared to have been scavenged as part of its legs and face were missing and there was a heavy maggot infestation.

‘In a dog crate in the back of this room were two more pug type dogs. These too were in a state of decomposition. There was no food or water visible in this crate.

‘In a room off the kitchen was a filthy room.

Dead rabbits were found in cardboard boxes in the hallway, again with no food or water present

The RSPCA found five live Akita dogs at the property, but they were all underweight and three needed drips due to dehydration

Four of the Akitas have been returned to their owners, and have made recoveries, the RSPCA said

‘Conditions in this room were deplorable. Filthy dog crates with no bedding, food or water, three of which contained the decomposed remains of Akita dogs.’  

Four of the Akitas have been returned to their owners, and have made recoveries, the RSPCA said.

One was owned by Blackburn, and was signed over to the RSCPCA to be rehomed. 

An expert vet said that the decomposition of the animals suggested that they died at different times from dehydration as no drinking water was present at the house. 

He added: ‘All would have suffered from the mechanisms of pain, headaches, disorientation, intense thirst, weakness, fatigue, eventual collapse, organ failure and death for a period of at least five days, possibly longer.’   

In mitigation the court heard Blackburn was suffering from depression and anxiety.

As well as the ten-year ban on keeping animals, Blackburn was also given a twelve-month community order including a Rehabilitation and Activity Requirement for fifteen days and ordered to pay £900 costs.   

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