UK RSPCA steps in on Cornwall squatters' animal neglect and Durham cat cruelty case

Police and the RSPCA intervened at an abandoned development in St Erth, Cornwall after neighbours reported that squatters Victoria Morrall, 39, and David Antram, 61, had left a Rottweiler and three ponies without food or water for several days. Officers seized the dog and arranged veterinary transport for the horses, while the squatters claimed they were feeding the animals daily and blamed local prejudice.

In County Durham, Chelsea Brown, 35, was convicted of animal cruelty after the RSPCA found two cats abandoned at her home in Coundon. One cat was found dead and the other severely underweight, flea‑infested and dehydrated. The court banned Brown from owning pets for five years, imposed a £200 fine and ordered her to pay £480 in costs. The surviving cat was rehomed and named Oscar.