Pets Galore owner before Toowoomba court on 15 charges

AN RSPCA prosecutor told the court it was expected Ms Bourne would be charged with further matters when she next appears in court.

Pets Galore Toowoomba owner Nicole Louise Bourne has fronted a Toowoomba court. Picture: Bev Lacey

THE owner of Toowoomba pet store Pets Galore has appeared before the city's Magistrates Court on 15 charges arising from alleged mistreatment of animals.

The charges were laid following an RSPCA raid of the Toowoomba store on May 20.

Nicola Louise Bourne stood quietly beside her solicitor Harrison Humphries, of Clifford Gouldson Lawyers, as she was formally charged with five counts each of failing to provide appropriate accommodation or living conditions, failing to provide appropriate treatment for an injury to an animal, and failing to take reasonable steps to provide for the animal's needs for displaying normal patterns of behaviour in a way that is appropriate.

The 42-year-old was not required to enter any pleas to those charges and Mr Humphries asked for an adjournment and said he would seek a brief of evidence.

However, RSPCA prosecutor Xuan Huynh, appearing by phone, told the court it was expected that more charges would be laid against Ms Bourne and asked for a four week adjournment so that could be done.

Magistrate Damian Carroll therefore remanded Bourne at large and adjourned the case for mention back in the same court on July 21.

RSPCA animal welfare officers seized hundreds of animals from the Pets Galore site in the city including cats, a dog, rodents and birds during the May raid.

Originally published as Pets Galore owner before Toowoomba court on 15 charges