IAN AND ANN WARE OF TIVERTON SENTENCED FOR NEGLECTING DAMAGED CAT

Ian Ware, born on May 13, 1946, and Ann Ware, born approximately in 1960, both residents of Holly Road, Tiverton EX16 6HZ, were convicted in 2020 for neglecting their severely injured cat. The RSPCA found them guilty of failing to take their cat to the veterinarian.

In September 2019, the RSPCA inspected the Wares’ home following a tip-off from a concerned member of the public. During the visit, Inspector Charlotte Coggins discovered their grey and white cat, named Snowball, in a poor condition. Snowball was quickly taken to a veterinary clinic, where he was subsequently euthanized due to the severity of his injuries.

Inspector Coggins detailed the extent of the injury, stating: “The pinna was damaged, leaving the cartilage of the ear canal exposed. Around the ear canal there was a deep deficit in the skin and underlying muscle to the extent that the bone of the skull could be seen rostral to the ear canal.” She explained that the vet diagnosed Snowball with a “chronic severe deep infection of the ear canal and surrounding tissues,” which likely resulted from a bite, possibly from another cat or a rodent.

The inspector further noted, “As a result of this infection, the vet found Snowball to be suffering severe pain and that the infection had been present for some time based on the severity and extent of tissue destruction, including damage to the cartilage of the ear canal.”

The Wares admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to Snowball by neglecting to provide prompt and effective veterinary care for his severe and chronic wound.

The court sentenced Ian and Ann Ware to a four-week curfew and ordered each to pay £110 in court costs. Additionally, they are banned from keeping any animals until March 2023, a restriction that will expire at that time.

This case was reported by DevonLive.