Ilona Karmynchinka in court for duty of care breaches as a pet owner

The miserable conditions in which a dodgy breeder kept dozens of dogs and rare Sphynx cats have been revealed in a court hearing for the Gympie business owner. WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT

A Gympie pet breeder has fronted court after 45 cats and kittens and 17 dogs were found living in “putrid conditions”.

Ilona Karmynchinka pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on Tuesday to six duty of care breaches as a pet owner by not providing a suitable environment, medical attention and one charge of failing to comply with a direction from animal welfare.

Karmynchinka was previously charged with 82 animal cruelty offences but RSPCA prosecutor Adrian Braithwaite offered no evidence on those and they were dismissed.

Mr Braithwaite told the court Karmynchinka had two properties, a residential address in Gympie, and a property in Bells Bridge where she ran her business, breeding and selling cats and dogs which she sold on Gumtree.

Ilona Karmynchinka sold Sphynx cats on Gumtree. She shared the cat pictured on Facebook in 2017. Photo: Facebook

He said on March 10, 2o21 a search found 21 animals at Bells Bridge property in “inappropriate conditions”, including eight animals in need of treatment for disease or injury.

“There was, for example, rooms with windows closed and no ventilation, a strong smell of ammonia, pens containing a number of cats and kittens … cats and dogs with injuries that needed treating,” he said.

The Gympie property was not much better, and Mr Braithwaite said Karmynchinka was given a direction from animal welfare officers to improve the living conditions.

However, when the RSPCA arrived two weeks later to conduct a compliance check, nothing had changed, with seven cats needing medical treatment.

“At the Gympie property, there was multiple locations that contained faeces and urine, overflowing litter trays, much of the food was rotting and infested with maggots,” he said.

“Several of the animals were found to be in a state that demonstrated patterns of behaviour consistent with inappropriate living conditions, such as (being) timid and scared.”

The animals were seized from both properties.

Mr Braithwaite said the RSPCA was still in possession of a number of the animals, but nine cats were to be returned, with Karmynchinka allowed to own three with certain conditions.

The remaining six were to be adopted.

He said the total cost to the RSPCA was more than $130,000, of which Karmynchinka agreed to pay $20,000 for the animal’s accommodation.

Ilona Karmynchinka leaving Gympie Magistrates Court on Tuesday, October 19, 2021.

He said the RSPCA was also seeking $1507.20 in legal fees from Karmynchinka, who he described as very co-operative with the administration of justice.

When it was Karmynchinka’s turn to speak, she said the animals seized were in the terrible living conditions for no more than six weeks, and the animals that were sick had diarrhoea due to being fed incorrectly by her co-accused Raymond Lloyd.

Lloyd was convicted of similar charges to Karmynchinka in August.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan described the charges as “serious”, and sentenced her to complete 200 hours of community service within 12 months.

She was also ordered to pay $29,507.20 in compensation to the RSPCA.

A conviction was not recorded.