NINE dogs and puppies who were left to die by their owner in squalid conditions which shocked investigators had a joyful reunion yesterday.
The collies are on the mend thanks to love and care by their new owners following a harrowing ordeal three years ago.
Fifteen puppies were found in two suitcases in a locked cupboard under stairs in the house of their former owner Amanda Cheadle near Uckfield, East Sussex, in August, 2008.
Suffering from starvation, dehydration and suffocation, some were dead and others were dying when the RSPCA was alerted by a member of the public concerned at the conditions.
Cheadle was jailed for 20 weeks after she was found guilty of nine charges of causing unnecessary suffering and neglect following a four-day trial.
Dog breeder Cheadle was also banned from keeping animals for life at Lewes Magistrates’ Court.
Nine of the neglected dogs and puppies attended a reunion at the RSPCA animal shelter in Patcham, near Brighton, East Sussex, with their new owners.
