A couple has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after moving out of their home and leaving behind their pet snakes, spiders, tortoises, and fish.
Emma Bayliss and Aaron Johnson claimed they fled the property after receiving death threats.
The pair said they returned every other day to their West Midlands house to check on the animals, which they described as being like their “children.”
However, the RSPCA placed seals on their doors, which were unbroken for two weeks.
Inspectors seized the animals, including two Royal pythons that had skin conditions, reports Birmingham Live.
Bayliss, aged 36, of Flavells Lane, Lower Gornal and Johnson, 37, of Buckingham Grove in Kingswinford, Dudley – where the abandoned pets were found – admitted two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
At Birmingham Magistrates’ Court yesterday, February 9, they were sentenced to a 12-month community order, fined £120 each and banned from keeping animals for a decade.
Prosecutor Gemma Tibbatts said: “This matter relates to the prolonged neglect of two snakes, in particular Royal Pythons.
“Those animals were left unattended within the property for some time.”
She told the court one of the reptiles had a mouth infection while the other was unable to shed its skin.
They had been left between May 25 and June 8 last year.
Ms Tibbatts continued: “Information was received which led to inspectors attending the property on May 26 last year and placing seals on the doors.
“There was a further visit on June 1 by an RSPCA inspector.
“The tape seals on the front door looked as if they had been potentially messed with. They were still in place on the door.
“The inspector could see there were animals within the property.”
Inspectors made subsequent visits before a relative of the couple gave them permission to enter on June 8, when they took the animals away.
Ms Tibbatts told the court both defendants were arrested and claimed they left the home for more than four months due to receiving death threats, but returned at least twice a week to feed and tend to the animals.
The prosecutor reiterated that the RSPCA did not accept that the couple made regular visits to the property due to the unbroken door seals.
Elle-May Macey, defending, told the court both Bayliss and Johnson had a number of mental health issues which impacted their “consequential thinking”.
She said: “They stated they returned at least two times a week.
“The reason they left was not out of choice it was a case of them receiving threats to kill them, their house to be petrol bombed, Mr Johnson’s throat to be slit and Ms Bayliss’ uterus to be shoved down it.
“They had reported it to the police and had taken necessary steps however as the police were unhelpful they felt like they were really unsafe.
“They went to stay with the defendant’s sister.
“In the time they had been attending, they were concerned about the welfare of the snakes, they were their children in some regards.
“But in those moments they had been at the home they were being threatened.
“They were doing the necessary changing of water, cleaning out the enclosures and making sure the electricity was still on.”
She added that the couple did not notice any issues with the snakes due to the “urgency” of the circumstances when they returned.
Ms Macey also told the court that wounds on the snakes were already present after the defendants had purchased them from someone online, who had found them in a bin.
Bayliss and Johnson must each carry out 30 days rehabilitation activity as well as pay a £114 victim surcharge and £200 costs.
The Chair of the Bench said: “You are disqualified from owning or keeping animals for a period of 10 years because of the suffering you caused the animals that were in your care and your disregard for their health and welfare over an extended period of time.”
