Paige Williams and partner Bradley Regan Archer were caught on camera abusing two dogs they were paid £1,400 to look after while the owners were away on a four-week break
A pet sitter from Solihull and her partner have been handed sentences after horrifying footage surfaced of them abusing dogs they were paid to look after.
Expectant mother Paige Williams, 26, from Kenilworth Road, Knowle, charged a family £1,400 to care for their three dogs, two cats and two birds while the owners were away on a month-long holiday in July and August 2024.
Her 27 year old partner, Bradley Regan Archer, joined Williams at the family’s Balsall Common residence to assist in ‘caring’ for the pets – but what ensued was weeks of animal cruelty. Upon returning from their holiday, the family viewed footage recorded by kitchen and garden cameras, which exposed the abuse.
The family provided 51 videos as evidence to the RSPCA, prompting an investigation, reports Birmingham Live.
All instances of abuse involved their 13-month-old dog, Ayrton, and a three year old dog, Frieda, both German Shorthaired Pointers. The abuse did not extend to the third dog, the cats or the birds.
Williams and Archer were filmed shouting and swearing at the dogs, dragging Ayrton and Freida by their collars, lifting them off the ground, and shoving them through doorways and onto the floor.
Williams, who ran a commercial pet sitting business under the name Fur and Filly PetCare Services, did not receive payment for the invoice after the abuse was discovered.
In one video, Williams, seemingly conscious of the cameras, appeared to directly address the owners. She stated: “I will never look after your dogs again, my animals have suffered this month. My animals. I’ve had enough.”
The pair made an appearance at Coventry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, April 8, following Williams pleading guilty to one offence of failing to meet the needs of two dogs under section nine of the Animal Welfare Act.
Archer, formerly of Balsall Street, Balsall Common, had pleaded not guilty and was set to face trial but altered his plea on the day.
Magistrates handed Williams a 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work and ordered her to pay £350 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
Archer, who had remained at the property throughout the four weeks, received a 12-month community order with 40 hours of unpaid work. The court instructed him to pay £750 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
Both were prohibited from keeping all animals for seven years.
RSPCA Inspector Ben Jones conducted the investigation on behalf of the animal welfare charity.
Speaking after the case, he said: “It’s a big decision to leave your pets in the care of someone else and, in this case, the family were leaving their pets with someone they felt they could trust.
“Sadly, Williams and Archer betrayed their trust with care that fell below the standards the law requires, with Ayrton and Feida subject to four weeks of abuse.
“What made this case even more shocking is that they were clearly aware of the presence of the cameras and even appeared to speak directly to the dogs’ owners through the cameras amid such inappropriate animal care.”
Mr Jones continued: “Poor Ayrton seemed to be at the sharp end of most of Williams’ and Mr Archer’s anger. He was locked in a crate which left him crying and whining, he was tethered to a tree – with water left just out of his reach – and he was chased around the garden and threatened with a stick.
“He was handled very inappropriately, with a slip lead used to yank him around and even flip him up into the air. When he jumped up at Archer he was whipped at several times with the same lead.”
A veterinarian who reviewed the footage told the court in a statement that Ayrton and Frieda displayed signs of anxiety and distress.
She stated: “Both dogs are handled in a way that would [have] negatively affected their mental welfare and their physical welfare.”
In mitigation, the court was told Ayrton was an energetic, young dog who could prove difficult to manage.
Magistrates heard Williams was in the early stages of pregnancy at the time and was battling to cope with hormonal fluctuations.
The court was informed the family had been introduced to Williams through a mutual acquaintance and had employed her services multiple times over the years without incident, before entrusting her with their pets. They provided care instructions along with emergency contact details. Mr Jones stated: “They had no concerns about their pets until they returned home and found them to be quieter than normal, cowering if their son was too loud when playing. When they checked the cameras they were shocked by what they found.”
The RSPCA reported that the dogs – who were ‘subdued, anxious and distressed’ upon being reunited with their family – are now faring well.