Chesterfield RSPCA takes in greyhounds found in faeces-smeared pens with no water

The malnourished pooches, found in failing health with urine-soaked bedding with no food or toys, were handed over by Daniel Simpson, 45, during an RSPCA prosecution.

Thirty-eight greyhounds in total – made up of adult and juvenile dogs and puppies – were discovered at his property living in nine wire pens.

Only one of the enclosures had water available and all of the breeding females had severe dental disease. One had a broken front leg and six of the 19 puppies were malnourished.

Unlicensed breeder Simpson has been banned from keeping animals for ten years after admitting five offences under the the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

A sentencing hearing at Teesside Magistrates Court on June 21 heard how the dogs were removed from the property in September last year.

The court was told four female greyhounds and 15 puppies were being kept in four pens in the conservatory, while a further five pens containing 19 greyhounds were found in the garage.

The greyhounds had been provided with bath mats that were sodden with stale urine and excrement. Many drank copiously when offered water.

In her written evidence to the court RSPCA Inspector Clare Wilson said: “Only one pen of nine puppies in the garage had any water available. The other eight pens had no water and some didn’t have any bowls in them at all.

“There was no food or any toys available in any of the pens for the dogs or puppies. Any bedding was dirty and soaked in urine and not every enclosure had bedding. I saw the dogs eating their own poo and fighting amongst themselves in the crates.

“Many of them appeared underweight and I was particularly concerned about one of the smaller puppies who seemed very lethargic. One dog had an obviously broken and hanging right fore leg."

Apart from the thirteen dogs cared for and re-homed at Chesterfield and Derby RSPCA branches, most the others were taken in at other centres across the country.

Two were fostered by veterinary staff before being adopted.