Rosemary Donovan outside Mandurah Magistrate’s Court, Western Australia today

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The RSPCA is calling for a West Australian woman to be banned from ever owning animals again after she was found guilty of animal cruelty.

Rosemary Muriel Donovan was charged after RSPCA inspectors visited her residential property in Coodanup, south of Perth, in July 2011.

The inside of the house, where the birds and cats were living, was in a filthy condition.   There they found about 80 animals in what the society has described as “seriously appalling conditions” at her residential Coodanup property.

RSPCA inspectors said they found 30 cats in the living room, faeces on the floor and the smell of ammonia so strong that one inspector had to leave the house because he felt sick.  Among the animals RSPCA inspectors found an aviary where a rabbit was found walking over dead budgies lying on the floor.   Dead guinea pigs were also found on the floor in some of their cages.

Former RSPCA inspector Nat McWhinney said the stench in the house reminded her of a piggery.  Another former inspector, Ken Ostle, claimed there were guinea pigs and birds in cages in some bedrooms of the house. He said there were 50 birds and some rabbits in aviaries in the backyard.

The court was told about cats allegedly riddled with mites, fleas and ringworm. Witnesses for the prosecution described a rabbit with an infected eye and another rabbit with wounds.
RSPCA inspectors said the cats had ringworm and fleas, the guinea pig cage had dead animals on the floor, and birds were kept in cages that were too small.

The RSPCA says the animals did not have sufficient food or water.  The RSPCA has called for a large fine and a ban on Rosemary Donovan owning any more animals.

Donovan is facing five years in prison or a $50,000 fine after being found guilty of 24 counts of cruelty.  She will be sentenced on Friday.

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