THE STARVED DOGS AND CATS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4488, 7 August 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE STARVED DOGS AND CATS.

The Daily News has received the following narrative from the Secretary of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals :—“lt will be remembered that on two occasions during the past three years proceedings have been taken against Mrs. Chantrell by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for cruelly starving a large number of cats and dogs at her house at Rottingdean, near Brighton. Convictions were obtained in each prosecution, and Mrs. Chantrell appealed against both decisions, the last being two months’ imprisonment, without the option of paying a pecuniary penalty. At quarter sessions tho convictions were affirmed, but in the latest appeal her counsel obtained leave to state a case for the opinion of the Court of Queen’s Bench, defendant being out on bail meanwhile. The condition of tho animals, however, so far as could be ascertained, for hothouse is bolted and barred against visitors, bad not improved, and in consequence, last week, an officer of tho society gained admission by stratagem to defendant’s house, with the sanitary inspector, when he found a considerable reduction in the number of animals, but those still living were in a terrible condition of emaciation and suffering. An order was obtained from the Court of Chancery, and the premises were visited on Monday. Tho animals were found in au adjoining cottage, they having been removed by Mrs. Chantrell subsequent to the order of the Vice-Chancellor alluded to. An indescribable scene of misery and suffering pervaded this place. Tho attenuated frames of living cats wore found with the carcasses of dead animals, and iu a cupboard skeletons of upwards of fifty cats wore disclosed. In other places a number of dogs were found in tho last stage of emaciation and disease, upon seeing which the vuterinai - y surgeon assured Mrs. Chantrell it was an act of cruelty to permit any of her animals to live. Tho actual backbone of one of the dogs was exposed to view, and another dog, a shrivelled, wan-laoking creature, gave birth to a pup during the visit, and being pressed by hunger, shortly afterwards devoured it. Those persona who witnessed the eager ravenous struggles of those wretched brutes to obtain food which was thrown amongst them, will never forget tho scene of weakness and ferocity winch followed. Mrs. Chantrell obstructed tho search with threats of violence, and persistently refused to permit any of the animals to be destroyed. Her loud language caused a large crowd to assemble round tho house, which at ono time threatened to break in for tho purpose of putting an end to tho cruelty and venting its indignation on the strange person who had caused it. Tho police managed, however, to keep back the crowd, and a sufficient quantity of poison having been procured, tho whole of the animals excepting two were put out nf their misery. These extraordinary proceedings caused great excitement, which was protracted by Mrs. Chantrell'a wilful resistance until hear midnight, the entire neighborhood having turned out to witness the termination of a nuisance as well as of the cruelty to animals which has unhappily been continued by her for three or four years iu defiance of the magistrates, the police, and tho society.”