A MOTHER and son who kept 65 animals at their terraced home have been banned from keeping pets for life.

Pauline Fearon and Gareth Henderson kept reptiles, dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes and birds at their home in Spa Crescent, Little Hulton.

They were warned about conditions in which the animals were kept when the RSPCA was contacted by a concerned neighbour.

But rather than improving things, the pair instead took in more animals after finding them on pet rehoming websites.

The list of the animals they had included: A soft bellied snapping turtle Two canaries, 12 finches and a budgie Six guinea pigs, two rabbits and two degus Three turtles, two terrapins, a plated lizard and a beaked baby dragon, Five dogs Three cats Fearon, aged 45, and Henderson, aged 22, first came to the attention of the RSPCA in September, 2008. An inspector visited the house and found three starving dogs unable to walk.

She also found neglected guinea pigs, rabbits, turtles, terrapins and cockatiels, and dozens of other animals in small cages and tanks.

The pair were ordered to change their ways, but when inspectors returned a fortnight later, Fearon and Henderson had not only continued to neglect the animals, they had also bought more of them online, Salford Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.

Tim Andrew, defending, said: “They would get these animals from websites featuring animals that had been abandoned and needing rehoming, but Miss Fearon was unable to care for them. She has been the victim of her own desire to look after animals.”

Fearon and Henderson were found guilty at an earlier hearing of causing unnecessary suffering to animals In all, the RSPCA took away 65 animals. It cost the charity £15,000 to rehabilitate and rehome them. Chairman of the bench Alf Jones said: “This case has been very difficult for us to process because of the high number of animals involved and the fact that two had to be put to sleep.”

Both Fearon and Henderson were banned for life from keeping animals and given a 12-month community order and a curfew.

Henderson was sentenced to 80 hours’ community service.

After the hearing, RSPCA Inspector Melissa Furey said: “What these two people did was inexcusable.

“To mistreat the animals in this way and to not even attempt to rectify the problem after an RSPCA warning is dreadful.”

After the hearing, Fearon, who was in a wheelchair and suffers from sciatica, said: “I am glad I have been banned for life. It means I will never end up in this situation again. I love animals but it all got too much.”

dale.haslam@theboltonnews.co.uk