Man fed poisoned tuna to neighbours’ cats leaving them both to be put to sleep

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A man was handed an eight-month suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of committing an Animal Welfare Act offence.

Tristian Paul Pearson, 44, had admitted to feeding poisoned tuna fish to his neighbours' cats in tubs containing the substance of ethylene glycol, a substance highly poisonous to felines.

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In what was the first case of its kind referred to a crown court due to the Animal Welfare Act 2021 coming into force last year, demonstrating just how serious the case was, which resulted in two cats being put down.

The two felines, Luna and Bailey, became sick after consuming the poisonous fish and later had to be put down after Luna suffered kidney failure and Bailey showed signs of sickness.

Tests showed that the poisonings came as a result of the pots the cats ate from containing a high concentration of ethylene glycol as an expert veterinary witness report confirmed.

Sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on August 5, alongside the eight-month suspended prison sentence, Pearson was ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work, banned and disqualified from keeping all animals and was forced to pay £2,000 in costs.

RSPCA inspector Simon Evans said: "These poor cats were deliberately tempted into digesting a substance that is incredibly dangerous for cats and ultimately proved fatal to them both.

"One cat died before he could even be taken to the vets, while another had to be put to sleep to prevent suffering. Vets found clear evidence of the harm the ethylene glycol had done.

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"The two dishes found in the defendant's garden contained a high concentration of the dangerous substance – and he admitted in court that he caused them to consume it, causing them to suffer unnecessarily.

"We hope this shocking, landmark case sends a clear message to anyone thinking of targeting cats in this way – this is wrong, illegal and will not be tolerated."

Hayley Firman of the RSPCA’s prosecutions department credited the courts for enforcing the new legislation and taking animal cruelty seriously.

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