All Headlines >>
Registered VN Lindsay Newell has been found guilty of six counts of cruelty to animals at Stafford Magistrates' Court, following an investigation by the RSPCA.
The charges related to a ewe, two lambs, a Welsh pony, a goat and a pig at the Burton Wildlife and Animal Rescue Centre, a sanctuary founded in 2008 by the 27-year-old nurse in memory of her murdered grandparents.
The pig had made headlines in the Daily Mail in 2012 when Newell rescued it from a Derby council house.
Newell was given a 2-year conditional discharge, ordered to pay £2000 in costs, and disqualified from keeping sheep, equines, goats or pigs for five years.
Passing sentence, district judge David Taylor said: "These were not deliberate or intentional acts. They were a consequence of you trying to take on too many animals of a wide range."
Newell was cleared of 25 other charges of failing to feed the animals in her care properly.
RSPCA inspector Jayne Bashford who led the investigation said: "We are satisfied that the court has found the defendant guilty of six charges of unnecessary suffering. The scene the RSPCA discovered when they visited with Police, Derbyshire Trading Standards and an independent vet were quite shocking.
"This was an extremely disturbing case where there was clear neglect and mistreatment of animals by a registered veterinary nurse.
"I am sure she set up this centre with the best intentions but things got totally out of control."
More on this story
PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vet nurses.
I used to work with the nurse involved and I know exactly what she has done/not done. Believe me when I say that she will never work as a nurse again!
please don't be so quick to condemn
not condoning at all but think its important to realise how this happens sometimes. People start a rescue and then they become inundated by rescue cases. I kept birds of prey in the distant past and had an extra small flight and a larger one where I could accommodate max 3 casualties short term whilst somewhere else more suitable was found. I never once advertised but once word got around vets were very keen to dump their casualties on me as were the RSPCA.Once they were at mine they were mostly forgotten about by the people who brought them in and became my problem to find them somewhere else. People are happy to help by off loading their problems but not so keen to help with the costs. I was lucky I learnt to ignore the emotional blackmail ('if you dont take it we will have to pts/it will die') because to do so wouldnt have been in the best interests of the birds I already had - but sometimes it was very hard, even harder when I used to find boxes left under the carport with no hint of where they had come from
This makes me sick, being a vet nurse is about helping animals and preventing suffering, why did she not ask for help? and yes why is she still registered.
I understand the RCVS is looking at the case.
The Veterinary Nurse title is a title to be proud of! Why is this woman still allowed to have this title?!
It's a shame that the charges of stealing and possessing veterinary drugs didn't feature. She has had employment terminated on more than one occasion for discrepancies with drugs. On the day she was investigated they removed a large amount of veterinary only items from her parents house. She is still a registered vn, although non of the practices in our area have employed her for several years.
Registered Veterinary Nurse actually
???????????Still a listed veterinary nurse??????????