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[crazy chris]

From BBC News.

A dog walker who said she lost five pets in her care has been banned by a court from keeping or looking after/walking animals for five years.

Louise Lawford admitted four animal welfare offences relating to her business Pawford Paws in Birmingham.

Prosecutors rejected her claim the dogs ran off - but said they could not prove what happened and had to drop charges relating to the pets' disappearance.

She was called a "dog killer" by someone in the public gallery, which the judge described as "outrageous".

Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard Mrs Lawford, from Erdington, had been placed in a position of trust and left customers anguished.

The fate of the missing "Tamworth Five", Ralph, Charlie, Pablo, Maggie and Jack, which disappeared after a walk in Hopwas Woods near Tamworth on 23 June, remains a mystery.

Some of the pets' owners were in court to witness Mrs Lawford being sentenced.

"The dogs were never found, despite being chipped and there being extensive searches," said Jonathan Barker, prosecuting, adding he did not accept Mrs Lawford's account that the dogs got lost in the woods, but could not prove otherwise.

Speaking after the hearing, the dogs' owners - who say they "know" their pets are dead - said they would take civil action against Mrs Lawford.

"It's a positive outcome because the court just did not believe the dogs were lost," one owner Becky Parsons said. "It just doesn't make sense."

She said the past six months had been "an emotional rollercoaster" and that she was so upset at losing her dogs, Pablo and Maggie, that she "couldn't face going back" to her house and has had to move.

The case, brought by Birmingham City Council, has attracted much attention on social media, and Mrs Lawford was called a "dog killer" when she left court briefly before sentencing.

This post has been edited by Crazy Chris: Jan 23 2020, 09:34 PM