A Norfolk couple have been banned from keeping animals for 15 years after they left their pet snake and chinchilla without food and heating.
Jeffrey and Carrie-Louise Quinnell were given the ban yesterday as they were sentenced for failing to take reasonable steps to fed their pets and keep them warm.
The underweight western hognosed snake, called Harley, and the beige female chincilla were found in near freezing conditions at the Quinnell’s former family home in Repps with Bastwick, near Great Yarmouth, on March 9 by the RSPCA.
Yarmouth Magistrates Court heard that RSPCA inspector John Jenkins also found two dead juvenile snakes in the Tower Road bungalow.
Kevin Batch, prosecuting, said the animals had been left to fend for themselves after the Quinnells, of Wolseley Road, Yarmouth, failed to return to their previous home to look after them.
They had left the pets behind when the family of eight moved out of the bungalow into temporary bed and breakfast accommodation because social services said it was not habitable.
Because of a lack of heating the temperature in the bungalow was only about 5 degree centigrade.
Mr Batch said: “Coming from the southern hemisphere all the animals are animals that require a warm and humid environment.”
A lack of food meant the chinchilla weighed only 430 grammes instead of an average of between 500 and 600 grammes.
The tiny creature was so hungry it had gnawed some wood leading to its lip becoming infected. Harley weighed only 130 grammes when he should have weighed about 160 grammes.
When the RSPCA questioned Mr Quinnell he said he thought the snakes would be fine because “They would cool down, go into hibernation.”
The court heard that after the Quinnells had moved to a bed and breakfast on January 18 they had regularly visited the three snakes and chincilla to feed and water them.
However because of their dire financial situation, in which Mr Quinnell had to take up two jobs, and lack of a car the couple found it impossible to visit the pets from the end of February.
Heather Little, mitigating, said the family were keen animal lovers and had always had kept pets and never had any problems with them before.
She said they accepted they had been negligible in not informing the RSPCA about the plight of their pets.
Miss Little added: “They are distraught to find themselves before you today in this capacity.
“It was a short term neglect but only due to a set of dire circumstances.”
The Quinnells, who pleaded guilty to the four offences on Friday, were banned from keeping animals for 15 years, ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work each and pay a total of £300 costs.
After the case RSPCA Insp Jenkins said: “These animals were left in a cold house with no food.
“Abandoning animals to fend for themselves, no matter what the circumstances, is not acceptable and we are glad this has been recognised by the court.”