A man has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after being found guilty of animal welfare offences against three pet rats.
Adam Cheeseborough, 29, of Hockliffe Road, Leighton Buzzard, was previously found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a white rat whose legs were fractured, and failing to meet the welfare needs of two more rats which had not received veterinary treatment.
The RSPCA was alerted after some of the defendant’s more than 30 rats managed to get free of their cage which the defendant had put in the hallway of the block of flats where he lived. The inspector was told that the rat with broken legs had fallen from the defendant’s second floor flat window several days before and had not received veterinary treatment.
Another rat called ‘Poops’ had an untreated tumour and a third rat had a tail injury which had not been treated. It also emerged that Cheeseborough had kept rats for 15 years, slept and bathed with them and even took them out with them to the shops.
Following the sentencing at Luton Magistrates Court on Tuesday, RSPCA inspector Melanie Fisher said: “The owner told us he was afraid that the rats would be put to sleep if he took them to a vet. This is not an excuse – if an animal is suffering it needs to see a vet straight away and should never be left with untreated injuries or illnesses. He also clearly had too many rats and was letting them breed out of control.”
In addition to the 10-year disqualification, Cheeseborough was sentenced to a 10-week curfew, preventing him from going out between 8pm and 6am, and was also ordered to pay £2,500 in costs.