In a distressing revelation, Martin Clowes, 55, and Gavin Cromwell, 42, have been handed a 10-year ban on keeping animals after a home, doubling as an animal shelter, caught fire, claiming the lives of 11 cats. The tragic incident exposed the appalling conditions in which 24 cats were housed in Bridgend, Wales.

Details presented at Swansea Magistrates Court depicted a squalid living environment filled with rubbish, urine, and faeces. Piles of cat litter-filled rubbish bags reached six feet high, while cat excrement was scattered across the floor during a visit in March 2023. Despite the grim conditions, 13 other cats survived and were taken in by the RSPCA.

RSPCA animal rescue officer Paula Milton, recounting the scene, described an overwhelming stench of urine and faeces, with smoke permeating the air. The living room was cluttered with black rubbish bags containing soiled cat litter, and deceased cats were found on the floor. In the bathroom, three live cats were discovered among piles of cat faeces.

Clowes and Cromwell, who did not reside at the property but visited two to three times a week to feed the cats, faced charges under the Animal Welfare Act. The RSPCA highlighted the unsafe, unclean, and unhygienic conditions in which the cats were living, lacking physical and mental stimulation with insufficient space.

The court sentenced the pair to 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months after they pleaded guilty to failing to meet the needs of the cats in terms of a suitable environment. In their defence, the court heard that Clowes and Cromwell had good intentions but lost control, expressing remorse for their actions.

This distressing incident raises concerns about the welfare of animals in makeshift shelters and underscores the importance of proper care and living conditions for animals in such environments.