Owners of Flipper banned
A couple who failed to treat their horse's weight loss and breathing problem
have been banned from keeping equines for five years, and have received a
hefty fine.
Flipper, a 11.2hh male pony (gelding) in his early 20s, has been living at The Horse Trust's sanctuary in Speen, Buckinghamshire, since June 2008.
Flipper's owners, John Edward King and Amy Pearl King of Littlecote, Dunton, Bucks, were sentenced at Aylesbury Magistrates Court on 27 January. They were given a five-year ban on keeping horses, as well as a £4,800 fine, court costs of £4,300, and a £15 court surcharge.
"We are delighted with the sentence," said Paul Jepson, chief executive of The Horse Trust. "This is a great success for the new Animal Welfare Act2 and will hopefully make people think more carefully before taking on a horse that they are unable to look after properly."
Flipper's owners were found guilty in December 2008 under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act for causing unnecessary suffering by failing to deal with his weight loss or breathing problem. They were also found guilty under Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act as it was decided that they had failed in their duty of care.
Flipper had been found by the RSPCA in the King's front garden in a poor condition.
"He had lost a lot of weight and was emaciated and lethargic. He was also struggling to breath - like a human asthma sufferer, Flipper needs to have regular medication administered by an equine 'puffer'," said Jepson.
Flipper was so ill that he needed to spend time in intensive veterinary care before he was well enough to be transported to The Horse Trust's Home of Rest for Horses. Flipper will now spend the rest of his life at The Horse Trust with access to 200 acres of paddocks.
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