A woman has dodged jail time after horrifying scenes of animal neglect were uncovered at her farm near Barnard Castle, County Durham.
Distressing Discovery of Suffering Equines and Dogs
RSPCA and World Horse Welfare rescuers found 22 horses in appalling conditions—many underweight, some collapsed—living amid dead horses in filthy barns and stables. Alongside them, 21 dogs were discovered in sheds and trailers, suffering severe neglect, with some covered in mouldy faeces.
Legal Action and Sentencing Details
Kerry Anne Pickersgill, 47, and her daughter Ellie Newby, 24, faced Durham Crown Court last Friday after an RSPCA investigation. Pickersgill pleaded guilty to 15 offences concerning neglect of horses and dogs and breaching a lifetime animal keeping ban from 2015. Judge Peter Makepiece handed her a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, along with 25 rehabilitation days, 100 hours of unpaid work, and six months of mental health treatment.
Newby admitted to two offences related to two dogs. She received a 12-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work and a five-year ban on dog ownership.
Shocking Conditions at the Farm
The court heard that a local authority animal welfare officer’s February inspection sparked RSPCA involvement after spotting dead horses and animals in severe distress. Inspectors found skeletal remains, charred carcasses, and a foal standing beside its dead mother in faeces-filled, unlit stables.
Vets testified that many horses were dangerously underweight, plagued by overgrown hooves, lice, and worms. Eight horses were so ill they had to be euthanised. Dogs were cramped in damp spaces with ammonia-filled air, lacking clean bedding or fresh water, many suffering from emaciation, dental issues, and infections.
Rescue Efforts and Aftermath
Sixteen surviving horses were rushed to vets for urgent care. Most dogs were rehabilitated and rehomed. Pickersgill showed remorse, accepting responsibility for the animals’ suffering.
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