CHELSEA FROM ORPINGTON BANNED FOR STARVING DOGS IN HORRIFIC CASE

In April 2023, a disturbing case emerged from Orpington involving a woman named Chelsea Jade Ellis, aged 27, who faced serious legal consequences after neglecting her pet dogs for an extended period. Ellis, residing on Burrfield Drive, was brought before the court on charges of causing unnecessary suffering to her two dogs, Rolo, a small Chihuahua, and Sleigh, a crossbreed. The case highlighted the severe neglect and suffering inflicted upon the animals due to her actions.

According to reports from the RSPCA prosecutor Andrew Wiles, the dogs were left alone at Ellis’s property for days at a time, with their food and water bowls completely empty. The neglect was so severe that when the dogs were finally confiscated, Rolo’s condition was rated at just one out of nine, indicating extreme emaciation, while Sleigh was rated at two out of nine, reflecting significant malnutrition and poor health.

The investigation began after the RSPCA received information about the dogs being left unattended at Ellis’s residence. On October 15, officers attended her property in response to these concerns. When they arrived, they could hear the dogs but found no one at home. Ellis was contacted by phone, and she claimed she had been out for long periods but would return that evening. To monitor the situation, the officers sealed the door to see if anyone would open it later. When they returned the following day, the seal remained intact, confirming that Ellis had not been present.

During their visit, the officers managed to look inside through a window and observed the two dogs. Shockingly, there was no food or water available for them, only four empty bowls on the floor. In an attempt to provide some relief, the officers pushed dog biscuits through an open window, which the dogs eagerly devoured, indicating their desperation and hunger.

Further inspections took place on October 30, with officers returning to find no one at home and still no food visible through the window. They contacted Ellis by phone again, instructing her to make arrangements for the dogs’ care. Despite these efforts, subsequent checks on November 1 and November 2 revealed that the seals remained unbroken and the dogs still had no access to food or water. On November 2, police intervened directly, seizing the dogs and placing them into the care of the RSPCA.

Veterinary assessments confirmed the severity of the neglect. Both Rolo and Sleigh were found to be extremely thin, with the vet estimating that their suffering had persisted for two to three months due to malnutrition, weight loss, and overall poor health. The condition of the dogs was a clear indication of prolonged neglect.

During police interviews, Ellis’s account of her responsibility and the circumstances surrounding the dogs’ neglect was inconsistent. Initially, she admitted to being responsible for the animals and acknowledged that they had been left alone from October 30 to November 2, with four days being the longest period. However, she later contacted the RSPCA inspector to claim she had lied during her first interview, asserting that Sleigh belonged to a friend named Danielle and that her mother had been feeding the dogs while she was away. In a subsequent interview, Ellis confessed that her previous statements were false, explaining that Danielle was not real and that she had been under significant stress because her children had been taken into care.

On June 22, at Bexley Magistrates’ Court, Ellis’s solicitor explained that she was experiencing enormous stress at the time of the offences. The court responded by imposing a five-year ban on her from keeping pets, with the possibility of applying to have this restriction lifted after three years. Additionally, Ellis was sentenced to complete 120 hours of unpaid community service and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs to the RSPCA.

Despite the dogs being in RSPCA care since November, Ellis did not voluntarily relinquish ownership of Rolo and Sleigh. As a result, the court issued a deprivation order, transferring ownership of the dogs to the RSPCA, allowing them to be rehomed into loving new families. Since entering the RSPCA’s care, both dogs have shown significant improvement; Rolo’s weight has increased by 60%, and Sleigh’s weight has increased by 28%, reflecting their recovery from the neglect they endured.