Three dogs had to be put to sleep after being found suffering from severe, untreated injuries while living in filthy conditions at a Preston home.
Michelle Batty, 48, pleaded guilty to four animal welfare offences after RSPCA officers discovered four dogs living among urine and faeces at her home in October 2025.
The animals — French bulldogs Buddy and Finn and cocker spaniels Tilly and Lesley — were removed after inspectors raised serious concerns about their condition and the environment in which they were being kept.
Officers were reportedly met by an overwhelming smell of urine and faeces when they entered the property, with floors smeared with filth.
Investigators said none of the four dogs had received veterinary treatment.
Buddy was found with severely bent back legs and dramatically overgrown nails which had curled into his paw pads. His condition had deteriorated to the point that he was dragging his legs and struggling to walk properly.
Finn was also suffering from badly overgrown nails which had curled into his pads, resulting in infected, open wounds.
Tilly was found with chronic infected sores affecting her back toes. She had missing nails and had also lost parts of the bones in her toes.
Lesley was in a better physical condition than the other three dogs but had nevertheless been forced to live in the same squalid surroundings.
All four animals were seized and taken to the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital for assessment and treatment.
Veterinary examinations concluded that Buddy, Finn and Tilly had been subjected to prolonged suffering and had extremely poor prognoses.
Tragically, their conditions were so serious that all three had to be put to sleep to prevent further suffering.
Lesley was considered capable of recovering. She received treatment before being moved into RSPCA-approved accommodation and was being prepared for rehoming.
Deputy Chief Inspector Kelly Nix said the dogs had been left without veterinary attention in “dreadful conditions”, adding that existing health problems had been made worse by the failure to care for them and the filthy environment.
Batty appeared at Preston Magistrates’ Court on July 15, 2026, where she pleaded guilty to all four animal welfare charges.
She was handed a 12-month community order, ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days, and told to pay a £144 victim surcharge.
The court also banned Batty from keeping animals for six years, meaning the disqualification is due to remain in force until July 2032.
The case resulted in three dogs losing their lives after suffering serious conditions that had gone without veterinary treatment — while Lesley was the only one of the four able to begin a new life away from the property.
