By Laura Armstrong 8/05/2009
A pet fanatic who crammed more than 1,000 animals into his tiny semi has been jailed.
John Ord Clark kept tanks packed with hundreds of lizards, frogs and other reptiles stacked from floor to ceiling in each of his three bedrooms.
Animal welfare officers who raided the 42-year-olds house twice last year described it as a zoo.
The horrified team found four boa constrictors, seven geckos and a water dragon, plus dogs, parrots, chickens, tortoises and a rat. RSPCA Inspector Catherine Burns told Oldham magistrates court: It was impossible to count all the animals, but I would estimate there were more than 1,000.
The dogs were living in appalling conditions. Their pen was cramped and full of faeces which was splashing on to their coats.
There were no dry areas for the dogs and their water was filthy. Fungus was growing in a tank which housed a snake.
The rat was in a small plastic box which meant it was sitting in its own urine and faeces.
Clark, who had denied all charges, was found guilty of 14 offences including causing unnecessary suffering to seven geckos and failing to meet the needs of a water dragon, three bearded dragons and eight cross-breed dogs.
Also among the offences was running an unlicensed pet shop, following the discovery of a leaflet entitled Reptile Mania which contained his contact details.
He was sentenced to three months jail and banned from keeping animals for five years.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-world/2009/05/08/pet-fanatic-who-kept-1-000-exotic-animals-in-tiny-oldham-home-jailed-115875-21340758/
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