REBECCA WALL/TAYLOR – ASHINGTON, NORTHEAST

Woman Convicted After Abandoning Pets to Die in Northumberland

Rebecca Chantel Wall, also known as Rebecca Taylor, of Ashington, Northumberland, was convicted in 2018 after leaving a young puppy and kitten behind in a property, where they were left to starve to death.

Wall, born 30 June 1994, had been living in Ashington before later moving to Choppington, and as of May 2020 was reported to be residing in Bedlington. The incident occurred in 2017, when she fled her rented accommodation due to rent arrears, abandoning her pets inside.

The animals — a 10-week-old kitten named Titus and a 12-week-old black Labrador puppy named Athena — were discovered after a housing officer entered the abandoned property on 27 July 2017 and alerted Northumberland County Council’s animal welfare team.

Both animals were found dead in separate rooms with the doors closed, having been left without food or water. Inspectors also discovered pet food packaging that the starving kitten had attempted to chew through in desperation.

A post-mortem examination confirmed both animals died from starvation and dehydration, and fragments of plastic food packaging were found in the kitten’s stomach.

Both pets had been microchipped to Wall, who at the time was already banned from keeping animals following a previous cruelty conviction in 2013. She was later traced but failed to attend initial appointments or her first court hearing, leading to a warrant being issued for her arrest.

When she eventually appeared in court, she pleaded guilty to five offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, including:

* Causing unnecessary suffering to animals
* Failing to ensure animal welfare
* Keeping animals while disqualified

An animal welfare officer described the case as “the worst” they had ever dealt with, stating the animals had clearly been left to die in what was described as a mindless act of cruelty.

Wall was sentenced to 14 weeks’ custody for each of the five charges, to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months. She was also ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity, pay £2,222 in costs and charges, and was disqualified from owning or keeping animals for 10 years.