Kettering man kept animals in faeces-ridden home despite lifetime ban - and even got paid to pet-sit

A chance look through an animal cruelty website led to the rescue of pets from a Kettering man’s faeces-ridden home.

Lee Howard was banned from keeping animals for life in 2006 when he was jailed for 26 weeks for allowing horses, hens, dogs and a rabbit to die of thirst and starvation.

Despite the ban he brazenly went on to be a paid pet-sitter for someone who had no idea about his past – only to be caught when they saw him on a website about animal cruelty.

And when the matter was escalated police and the RSPCA found yet more animals living in filthy conditions without access to water at his Scott Road home.

On Wednesday (August 30) the 57-year-old was handed a suspended prison sentence and ordered to take part in rehabilitation activities.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard Howard, who was handed a second lifetime animal ban in 2007 after breaching his first, was initially recommended to a licensed dog breeder who wanted someone to pet-sit for him when he wasn’t home.

Prosecutor Janita Patel said Howard would go to the man’s address where he would have control of 15 dogs, four chickens and numerous finch-like birds and would be paid £35 a day. The court heard he looked after the animals on at least 15 occasions between August 2021 and August 2022 – including the odd overnight stay – and was even listed as a keyholder on the man’s council animal welfare licence.

But Howard’s world of working as a pet-sitter soon came crashing down.

Reading a statement from the man who paid for his services, Ms Patel said: "In September 2022 I was looking through an animal cruelty website by chance and saw a photo of Lee Howard.

"I recognised him as the man who had been pet-sitting for us."

He reported it to the RSPCA and it was escalated to Northamptonshire Police, who gained a warrant to search the home of Howard, once known as Lee Howard-Smith.

On January 6 this year police officers and an RSPCA inspector searched the address and found him in sole custody of a number of animals in the ‘cluttered’ property.

Confined in the kitchen was a Boston terrier dog called Harriet, which Howard said he was looking after for a friend.

Ms Patel said: "The floor of the kitchen was covered in faeces and there was no access to water and no proper bedding."

Bird cages were found in the lounge, with one containing an Amazon green parrot called Jud and the other housing two cockatiels called Paxo and Stuffing. Both cages were dirty with old food, faeces and no fresh water. Fish tanks with goldfish and tropical fish were also found.

Two female cats called Sooty and Blacky were discovered in a bedroom described as ‘almost floor to ceiling’ with belongings and old cages and tanks.

Ms Patel said: “The floor was dirty with faeces...both cats had evidence of fleas."

Police also seized documents from as far back as 2012 with breeding and pedigree certificates, animal course certificates and even a judging education certificate from The Kennel Club found in a frame.

Ms Patel added: "What you have is a plethora of evidence of this gentleman having breached two lifetime disqualification orders on numerous occasions from 2012 to 2022."

The dog was later taken back to its owner who was not aware of any animal welfare incidents relating to Howard. The court heard he had been looking after it since 2017.

Howard later went on to plead guilty to failing to take reasonable steps to ensure animal needs were met and breaching a disqualification from keeping animals after the RSPCA prosecuted him.

Mitigating, Sewli Kuddus said Howard suffers from physical and mental health issues and has problems with self-care.

She said he has no family and has only recently been given a carer.

She said: "He had no-one to say to him 'what you are doing is wrong'."

Ms Kuddus urged the case for a suspended prison sentence and said Howard no longer has any animals.

She added: "He does love animals. He does love dogs."

Howard was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days.

Chairman of the bench Dr Romanos Daskalou told him he hoped he would work with the probation service and cooperate with them.

Howard was also handed another lifetime ban from keeping animals and cannot apply to have it lifted for 10 years.

He will also have to pay costs of £400 and a surcharge to fund victim services of £154.

Speaking after the case, RSPCA inspector Susan Haywood said: “I hope that now that he has been sentenced by the court the defendant will learn from this experience and not get animals which he clearly is unable to look after properly.”