Shocking pictures show how ‘animal lover’ kept 22 dogs in disease and rat-infested stables

Jamie-Lee Harper pleaded guilty to charges of causing unnecessary neglect and suffering to animals between September 1 and November 24, 2022.

An “animal lover” who kept 22 dogs and puppies in squalid, rat-infested conditions at a Scots farm has dodged jail.

Dogs belonging to Jamie-Lee Harper, 36, were found matted and dirty and left to sleep on concrete floors in damp bedding surrounded by faeces at Acre Farm in Glenboig in November 2022.

The discovery came after inspectors from the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) swooped on the Lanarkshire farm following reports to their helpline. They were confronted by scenes of appalling neglect with rats running about the stables.

A total of 22 dogs were found roaming free on the site, with the youngest puppies discovered only being four or five weeks old. The dogs were discovered in stables and sheds as well as an open kennel area.

In one shed, which housed three dogs, the bedding was insufficient, with three blankets that were damp and soaked with urine. One dog was seen limping and two had injuries that suggested they had been fighting each other.

A litter of six cocker spaniel puppies around 10 weeks old were also found alongside two water bowls which were contaminated with faeces and wood shavings. They later tested positive for Giardia – a parasitic disease associated with chronic and acute diarrhoea in dogs, transmitted through faecal-oral contact with contaminated food, water or objects.

A Great Dane and her four-to five-week-old puppies were being kept in a freezing environment with no bedding or blankets. Two female Akitas were also found, one of which was limping and in pain and suffering from patchy fur loss.

Harper appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to charges of causing unnecessary neglect and suffering to animals between September 1 and November 24, 2022. She was spared jail but has been banned from keeping dogs for three years but allowed to continue caring for horses at the farm where she has worked for 16 years.

Harper was fined £1975, put under supervision for a year and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid community work. An electronic tag means she faces a 7pm to 7am curfew for six months.

Defence lawyer Stephen Bentley said Harper now realised she couldn’t cope with so many dogs.

He told the court: “She is an animal lover and has attended at the farm on an almost daily basis for nearly a decade. I have a plethora of messages from dog groomers painting a positive picture of her.

“But following a broken ankle in June 2022, she had mobility difficulties and let conditions fall short of the proper standards. She realises having such a large number of dogs led to her failing in her duties and she’s remorseful.”

But Sheriff Hughes pointed out that Harper had given a different version of events to social workers.

He stated: “She says she was disgusted with the SSPCA for claiming there was any issue with the dogs. She criticised the authorities and the vet for doing their jobs. The social work report is appalling as she says ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’.”

All the dogs were examined and removed to a SSPCA Rescue and Rehoming Centre for ongoing care. Many of the surviving dogs in this case have gone on to be rehomed.

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