MELANIE MELVILLE CONVICTED OF ANIMAL CRUELTY IN HULL

In 2019, Melanie Jayne Melville, also known as Melanie Mason, born on January 22, 1980, of Hawthorne Avenue, Hull HU3 3AW, was convicted of animal cruelty against ten dogs. Melville pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act for neglecting to meet the needs of her dogs, which included terriers named Smallie, Dimitri, Ruben, Spike, Rosie, Rhianne, Scar, Bella, Bethany, and Lucy.

The RSPCA became involved after a member of the public alerted the police following the discovery of Smallie with injuries caused by dog fighting. Sadly, due to the severity of Smallie’s injuries, he had to be put to sleep at the veterinary clinic.

Following concerns over the living conditions, RSPCA Inspector Jilly Dickinson visited Melville’s home. She found nine dogs living in poor conditions both inside the house and in the garden. Inspector Dickinson commented: "The environment was not at all suitable for these dogs, who were all very nervous. Overall there had been ten, but sadly Smallie was put to sleep after his injuries. The living room, where half of them were kept, was dirty and smelly because they were going to the toilet inside. The other half lived in an outbuilding in the garden that was also in poor condition."

Initially, the RSPCA offered assistance by providing neutering vouchers since none of the dogs had been neutered, and offered to revisit to assess improvements. However, when Inspector Dickinson returned the following month, conditions had not improved. She observed an overwhelming, ingrained smell in the home and witnessed the dogs urinating indoors. Despite giving Melville an opportunity to improve conditions, no changes were made.

Many of the dogs had little socialisation and did not know how to walk on a lead, requiring all but two to be carried into the RSPCA van during the rescue. Veterinary examinations revealed that all but two of the dogs had scars consistent with fighting.

Inspector Dickinson stated: "This is a sad situation where we tried to work with the owner to improve the dogs’ lives, but sometimes advice is not followed." Since their rescue in July 2018, the nine dogs have made significant progress. Inspector Dickinson remarked: "They have all improved massively. They were very nervous initially but are now much better with people and other dogs. They've become friendlier and more confident and should adapt well to new, suitable homes."

Melanie Melville was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work, 15 days of rehabilitation activities, and ordered to pay £435 in costs and charges. Additionally, she received a 10-year ban on keeping animals, which will expire in April 2029.

Following her conviction, Melville gave an interview to a local newspaper, claiming her innocence and suggesting that the RSPCA was targeting her unfairly. In response, an RSPCA spokesperson said: "We only bring a prosecution if there is evidence that the animals’ needs are not being met and if it has passed the public interest test. In this case, the defendant pleaded guilty to two offences of failing to meet her dogs’ needs. We work with owners to help improve their pets’ welfare, and court action is always a last resort."