A 53-year-old Gosnells woman has been handed an eight-month suspended imprisonment sentence, fined $4,000 and been banned from being in charge of any animal for 10 years after pleading guilty to 15 charges of animal cruelty. The offender has been given until 31 July to rehome the eight birds and three cats she currently owns before the ban begins.
She has also been ordered to pay nearly $14,000 in care reimbursement and legal costs.
Her conviction relates to the removal of 38 cats and four chickens from her suburban backyard by RSPCA WA inspectors in February 2025.
RSPCA WA told the Armadale Magistrates Court it believed the female offender was operating a profit-driven commercial business selling pedigree cats and was breeding cats with no concern for their welfare, safety and health.
RSPCA WA inspectors attended the Gosnells property after receiving a cruelty report about a "backyard breeder" and a large number of cats "in appalling conditions".
The offender wasn't home, but they spoke to a family member who confirmed the woman was a breeder of ragdoll and Russian blue cats, both considered desirable breeds. He said there were an "exuberant amount" of cats – around 30 to 40 – living at the home.
When the offender arrived, she told the inspectors that she and two family members all cared for the animals however admitted she had only checked on the cats a few times in the last month.
During their inspection of the property, the inspectors saw 38 cats and kittens, confined to cages and pens of varying sizes, some stacked on top of each other, at the rear of the property, under the veranda area and in a storage shed.
Each pen and cage contained a large build-up of faeces and urine – one had a litter tray so filled with faeces and diarrhoea that it was overflowing onto the cage floor which meant the cat had limited room to move or lay down without touching faeces.
Some cages contained no bedding; some of the cats appeared shut down and timid. Subsequent RSPCA WA vet examinations revealed varying degrees of gastrointestinal illnesses, infections, flea infestations, dental disease, and poor body condition across the population of cats.
The four Isla brown hens were in a large coop with only mouldy vegetables to eat.
The offender was told all 38 cats and the four hens would be seized due to suspected offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2002. She agreed to surrender 21 cats – the remaining 17, and the hens, were seized.
Thirty-two of the cats and three of the hens have recovered in RSPCA WA's care – 15 cats have been adopted and 20 animals remain in foster care. Sadly, six cats and one hen were unable to be saved.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mark Millington said, "The photos and the video they tell a thousand words because they show the conditions that the animals are in. You can't shy away from the fact that that is appalling; it is disgusting.
"One can only imagine what they were going through. I'm satisfied there was serious harm here through neglect"
RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said the offender showed little regard for the cats, despite making money from them.
"These animals were left to live in appalling conditions which resulted in physical and psychological harm," she said. "Vet examinations revealed some would have been suffering for months, even years.
"It is reprehensible to leave animals to essentially fend for themselves while you seek to profit from them. I'm so glad those we could save are now happy and healthy and that we could get them some justice today."
The offender was convicted under sections 19(1), 19(3)(b)(ii), 19(3)(d) and 19(3)(h) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002.
The maximum penalty for a charge of animal cruelty is a $50,000 fine and five years in prison.
The RSPCA relies on the community to report incidents of suspected cruelty and neglect. Reports can be made by calling 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 358) or at rspcawa.org.au.
