Horrendous condition of home as xl bully found dead in fly-infested kitchen

A Darlington man has been banned from keeping animals for a decade after the body of his XL Bully was found in his fly-infested home. RSPCA officers found the dog, Jax, dead in Andrew Paul

Fleming's kitchen amid “horrendous” conditions - with flies buzzing and dog faeces and rubbish strewn across the floor. The 36-year-old was not in the house at the time and his landlord

had been trying to contact him "for weeks". In a statement, RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Kristina Raine said she visited the Fleming's then address, in Close House, Bishop

Auckland, in August 2024 but no one was home. She could not see into the front of the property as the curtains were drawn but there were “flies buzzing around and dead ones on the window

ledge”. The officer went to the rear of the house and through a window, saw Jax’s body, lying on her side in the corner of the kitchen floor. She said: “I could see every bone in her body,

her face and eyes were sunken in, she was not breathing.” After contacting the police, she was able to obtain a key from the landlord - who said “he had been trying to get in touch with his

tenant for weeks”. Her statement added: “There were flies in the kitchen but no maggots, fly eggs or decay on the dog so I don't think she had been dead for long. The kitchen was filthy

with dog faeces present, some old and mouldy, some looked fresher, there were some dirty blankets, food packets and two empty dog food sacks. “The smell was horrendous. It appeared as

though the kitchen had been used as a kennel.” A vet’s report said Jax's bones were visible all over her body, reports Chronicle Live. It added: “Any reasonable, competent and humane

person would have recognised the deterioration in body condition and sought appropriate help and advice.” Pictures taken, which Teesside Live has deemed too distressing to publish, show

Jax's lifeless body surrounded by filth. The vet said Jax had a body score of one out of five, adding: “The carcass was skeletal with minimal muscle and fat apparent. The bones of the

hip, skull, ribs, vertebrae, shoulders and even thighs were very prominent.” The vet, however, said it was not possible to determine whether she died of starvation, dehydration or enteritis

without a full post mortem. In mitigation, the court was told the defendant had suffered a brain injury in a car accident. Fleming, now of Trueman Grove, Darlington, pleaded guilty at Newton

Aycliffe Magistrate's Court to causing Jax unnecessary suffering by failing to investigate her poor body condition. He also admitted failing to take reasonable steps to ensure her

welfare needs by providing a suitable diet, drinking water and environment, and protecting her from pain and suffering. At the court sentencing on May 8, he received a six-month jail term

suspended for a year. He was also ordered to pay £720 costs as well as a £154 victim surcharge. He must carry out 300 hours unpaid work and 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days. An

RSPCA spokesperson said: “The vet’s report makes clear that Jax died in appalling conditions which no animal should be left to suffer in. She was pitifully thin because she had not been

given food or water and left to fend for herself in a room which had not been cleaned for some time. “Whatever personal problems people have, they are not entitled to allow their pets to

perish in these awful circumstances. The RSPCA, together with other organisations provide support and advice for people who are struggling to cope.” FOR THE LATEST DARLINGTON NEWS DIRECT TO

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