A FORMER housing officer who left eight cats to die in sickening squalor has been jailed.
Teresa Coogan, 44, was locked up for 16 weeks after a shocking case at Salford Magistrates.
Conditions at her semi-detached in Blackley were described by a vet as the 'most appalling he had ever seen'.
Animal cruelty officers found the carcasses of eight cats when they visited the house on Heathbank Road after being called by worried neighbours.
Remains
They also discovered seven living cats that had survived by eating the other animals remains.
An RSPCA officer said that when she entered the property the stench 'brought tears to her eyes'.
Each room was covered with cat faeces, litter and tins of food.
Magistrates were shown horrific photographs and film of the neglect.
Prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA David McCormick said the corpses of the dead cats were so badly decomposed that post-mortem examinations could not determine what had killed them.
He added that even after the gruesome find Coogan, who had been living with a friend, refused to sign over the surviving cats, who were found to have leukaemia, to the authorities.
They were taken by the RSPCA and put to sleep.
Asim Ali, defending Coogan, who had worked as a housing officer and ran her own counselling business, said she 'allowed things to get on top of her'.
Abuse
He added that she had suffered domestic abuse, had lost her job and fallen into a 'vicious circle' that had left her contemplating her own life.
She pleaded guilty to 14 mistreatment offences at an earlier hearing.
Sentencing her to 26 weeks in custody, reduced to 16 weeks for her guilty plea, chair of the bench John Horton said there were no physical signs she had tried to kill herself.
At this point a friend of Coogan's, who had earlier threatened an M.E.N. photographer outside court, leapt to his feet in the gallery and hurled abuse at Mr Horton. He was led away by security guards.
Coogan was also banned from keeping animals but can appeal in five years.
The defendant, who wore a balaclava outside court, stood motionless in the dock as the sentence was passed.
The prosecution cost over £13,000. As Coogan is on benefits the RSPCA will have to foot the bill.
Inspector Melissa Furey, who first attended Coogan's house, welcomed the sentence.
Horrendous
She said: “This was an extremely sad and emotional case. The house was in an appalling state and the cats were subjected to horrendous conditions.
“This sentence should act as a deterrent to people in future. These cats were completely reliant upon her and she failed them in the worst possible way.
“It could have been avoided if she had just asked for help.”
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (09/12/2009 at 08:24)
Dae, Manchester (09/12/2009 at 09:21)
9/12/2009 at 08:24
You're right, she does need help. Hoarding is a mental illness, these people often think they're helping the animals, at least initially, and then it gets on top of them and out of control. Sadly, they rarely ask for help because they're scared the animals will be taken away (and rightly so, of course!). What a sad sad story.
Laura Norder, Didsbury (09/12/2009 at 09:34)
Mike S, Manchester (09/12/2009 at 11:53)
The Blue Solution, Always looking to the future (09/12/2009 at 12:07)
Don't want ot dead, just needed to let that out......
Dogs have owners, cats have staff
Brock, Hulme (09/12/2009 at 13:11)
Maria Smith (09/12/2009 at 13:44)
allotment lad 2, Sunny Manc (09/12/2009 at 15:42)
Acid, Chadderton (09/12/2009 at 15:53)
allotment lad 2, Sunny Manc
9/12/2009 at 15:42"
What do you mean by that?
Careless Whisper (09/12/2009 at 16:37)
citizen x, manchester (09/12/2009 at 17:01)
Angie33 , Manchester (09/12/2009 at 17:02)
Angie33 , Manchester (09/12/2009 at 17:05)
andrea wadeson (09/12/2009 at 17:50)
I would like those who have made sneering comments to think about the bigger picture. We all agree that this is a sad situation and that the animals have suffered, however, Teresa has suffered too and no person in their right mind would live in the appaling conditions that became "the norm" for her.
I am sure many will question why her family did not take her in? Well, we did. There was also countless attempts to help her clean the house and put some order in her life. There came a time when family had to step back and ask for professional help.
Prison is not the right place for this vulnerable woman. I only hope that she gets the help in there that she really needs. And perhaps a little understanding from those quick to judge!
Angela Ruddy (09/12/2009 at 18:20)
Angela Ruddy (09/12/2009 at 18:27)
Maria Smith (09/12/2009 at 18:59)
Andanotherthing, Mcr (09/12/2009 at 19:06)
It was through the abdomen. She was no Annie Oakley more is the pity, the cat lived and suffered for who knows how long.
But once again this lady is not mentally well or responsible. She should not be alloed to look after animals ever again.
northred, prestwich (10/12/2009 at 00:44)
Agree with the comments on RSPCA - do something about Halal food which Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons says causes untold suffering.. they are gutless .. if I win the lottery my money is going to Bleak Holt which doesnt put animals down.
Angie33 , Manchester (10/12/2009 at 09:59)
Catherine Huey (10/12/2009 at 18:52)
In normally functioning families, pets can play important supporting roles as confidants for children, with whom they can share secrets, learn nurturance, and derive emotional support. It is easy to envisage how this positive relationship could be exaggerated and distorted if circumstances force the animal as the primary form of support for a child in a dysfunctional family. Not surprisingly, it is quite common for animal hoarders to report very dysfunctional childhoods, characterized by inconsistent and absent parenting, and sometimes outright abuse, with animals as the only stable fixture.
Effective intervention and treatment require a highly individualized therapeutically oriented multi-disciplinary approach. Prison and demonisation is not, and never will be, the answer.
Maria Smith (10/12/2009 at 21:34)
Esso Blue, In Association with prometheus, Manchester (11/12/2009 at 11:03)
tax payer (11/12/2009 at 18:04)
northred, prestwich (11/12/2009 at 18:18)