A concerned neighbour has shared her heartbreak at living next door to a family with three dogs she says are being neglected. She says they are underweight, constantly barking and are left outside for hours.
The dogs, which live at a property in Scredda, St Austell, even killed another neighbour's cat and have been known to escape the garden. Just days ago Victoria Browne, who says she can no longer stand by and do nothing, filmed them eating from bin bags inside a shed at the property, which neighbours her own.
"There is no denying the condition these dogs are living in," she said, having shared a video of them rummaging through rubbish to Facebook. The clip, just under a minute long, caused a huge stir with people urging animal charities to get involved and check on their welfare - with the owner defending her situation and saying she has been taking steps to resolve problems.
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Mrs Browne said: "I'm still trying to get clear photos of their bodies and the condition they are actually in because you really wouldn't believe it. Now they know about my post they are keeping the dogs out of eyesight.
"I've tried the nice approach, offered to help, all sorts - and nothing. After eight years being on this estate they still live how they do."
"There is no excuse for it anymore it's 100 per cent neglect. Everyone that lives on this estate has been involved at some point in finding the dogs or the kids on the street totally alone and returning them.
"They're left out day and night every single day regardless of weather," she adds. "They've only been locked in since I put up that post. We have knocked on their door before at stupid times.
"Two, three and four in the morning because of the dogs howling and howling and scratching at the door to get it. Their health seriously needs looking into."
Chantel Sanders, the owner of the three dogs, said she felt people had started a "mass witchhunt" online and she wished they would have reached out to her or reported her officially instead. She said she contacted the RSPCA back in April asking if they could take in one of the dogs. She said the new addition was struggling to live with her existing dogs and it caused them to need to be separated.
Responding to the concerns, Mrs Sanders said: "I rang the RSPCA on Saturday (July 27) and begged them to come and get the dogs as I was scared someone would come to steal them and they would end up God knows where. RSPCA came out to do a welfare check, they have no major concerns. Bolt is on the skinny side as the other two bully him out of his food which they saw for themselves and we have to lock them out whilst he eats which then makes them bark."
She said the RSPCA agreed to take that dog, who is the youngest and most recent addition, in the hopes things "settle down again". "So I have tried to sort it myself," she added. "As for the cat, my neighbour's cat jumped into our garden and the two boy dogs basically played tug of war with it. My husband did intervene but it was too late.
"What happened was really sad and we were honest with the owners of the cat, however, if I had a pet bird and it flew into their garden and was killed by their cat nobody would be saying, 'oh look how dangerous that cat is'. It's just prey to them."
Of the video, she said: "I know the video makes it look like they were locked in the shed but they absolutely weren't. They got in and started rummaging through black bags which many dogs do despite being well fed."
The RSPCA has been contacted for comment.
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