Lewiston cat breeder Sandra Yandell’s property was a scene of ‘extreme filth and degradation’, court hears
The home of a cat breeder who allegedly kept more than 50 cats in “squalid” conditions was so revolting it left one RSPCA inspector with burning eyes, a court has heard.
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A Lewiston cat breeder, who housed up to 118 ragdoll felines at one time, has faced court on 10 charges relating to the treatment of animals.
The Elizabeth Magistrates Court heard scores of cats were seized by the RSPCA from Sandra Yandell’s property following an inspection in May this year, which was described by a visiting vet as a scene of “extreme filth and degradation”.
A charge sheet also showed the cats were allegedly kept in “squalid and unhygienic conditions”.
However, Ms Yandell – who had previously received nine animal welfare notices from the RSPCA in 2018 due to issues related to cleanliness, the care of cats and a need to make “modifications to living conditions” – said her ailing health had led to the alleged neglect.
The court heard an RSPCA inspector and a local vet said they could smell urine and faeces upon arriving at the property.
The RSPCA’s legal counsel, Chloe Swinden, told the court the pair observed a “significant amount of faeces, rubbish and urine” throughout the house.
The inspector also reported a smell so strong inside it induced a “burning to her eyes and throat”.
Ms Yandell, 66, estimated there were just 55 cats on the property at the time, having sold an unspecified number prior to the inspection, the court heard.
However, Ms Swinden felt imprisonment was a necessary punishment.
“This type of activity ... is simply unacceptable,” Ms Swinden said. “(These were) extremely poor and unsanitary conditions.”
The court heard three deceased kittens were also found at the property.
It was also alleged the home “smelt strongly of ammonia”, raw meat was on the floor, there was “poor” air quality in several rooms and a pool table was soiled with cat urine.
Six cats were also found to be suffering from “untreated medical conditions”.
In one case, the cat’s claws had grown in a “circular fashion and had penetrated the skin”, the court heard.
Other conditions suffered by cats included “significant dental problems”, conjunctivitis, respiratory issues and a nasal infection.
Ms Swinden said Ms Yandell had also failed to follow the breeders’ code of practice by not keeping adequate records, including names and date of birth: “She could not identify each cat she had.”
Ms Yandell’s legal counsel said his client had run a “very successful cat breeding operation” since 2008, but her life had been affected by “significant setbacks” in recent years, including the loss of her partner of 27 years to cancer.
“It’s something, in her words, she’s never quite gotten over,” he said.
“She became quite depressed and anxious.”
He said the mother-of-two had also suffered from health problems causing “significant ongoing day-to-day pain”, including back and knee issues, which had “overwhelmed” her ability to care for the cats.
“She didn’t do it for the money, she did it for the love,” he said.
“She took very great pride in caring for her cats.
“(But) she was unable to keep up with the running of the operation. Things spiralled out of control.”
However, he said that “squalor hardly cuts it” when describing her property.
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“This wasn’t a case of complete abandonment or complete recklessness, there was an element of care at all times,” he said.
“This was ultimately an operation that was too big for the one-woman show that it was.
“At some stage she buried her head in the sand.
“She’s very embarrassed about the state her house got into. She’s learned her lesson from this.”
The matter returns to court later this month.
