Sharon Price, an Epsom resident, has admitted to causing immense suffering to 23 cats by trapping them inside a wheelie bin without food or water. The incident, which occurred in Surrey, left the cats terrified and unable to move. Price secured the lid of the bin with a disused microwave, which the RSPCA reported caused serious harm to the animals.
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According to the RSPCA, the cats at the bottom of the bin were slowly crushed and suffocated by the weight of those above. Their urine dripped to the bottom, soaking the bodies of those beneath and causing burns to their airways. Cats positioned higher in the bin found themselves tangled in a metal grid with no means of escape, forced to stand or lay on the deceased animals below them. The charity noted that all the cats would have experienced extreme fear and physical pain during this ordeal.
Out of the 23 cats, eight died, while the remaining 15 were found severely dehydrated, underweight, and infested with fleas. The RSPCA indicated that the cats had been kept in complete darkness on a hot day.
On March 5, Kingston Crown Court sentenced Price to a four-month prison term, which was suspended for two years. She is also prohibited from keeping cats and dogs for ten years and is required to complete a 10-day rehabilitation program. The court heard that Price has mental and physical health issues, and she claimed that she found the cats in nearby woodland and was advised by an animal charity to secure them in the bin during her move. However, RSPCA Inspector Liz Wheeler stated that their investigations did not support this account.