A County Durham couple have avoided immediate custody at Durham Crown Court after six dogs and three rabbits died of dehydration and starvation inside their waste-strewn home, where RSPCA inspectors uncovered decomposed remains and swarms of flies.
Nathan Race, 38, and Jade Race, also known as Boyd, 36, both of Ford Terrace, Chilton, appeared for sentence following an extensive animal welfare investigation carried out by the RSPCA.
The prosecution arose after RSPCA Inspector Clare Wilson attended the Chilton address on 16 September following reports alerting the charity to deceased animals trapped within cages. Upon entry, inspectors were met with an overwhelming odour of decay. Inside the property, officers discovered six dogs lying dead within filthy, waste-encrusted crates, their carcasses in advanced states of decomposition and mummification. Three rabbits were discovered deceased inside plastic hutches caked with thick layers of mouldering waste.
Every food bowl and water bottle across the premises was bone dry. Faeces spilled out from cages onto floorboards, household rubbish covered the rooms, and thousands of flies coated an upper-floor window. Investigators noted that one dog, Mila, had desperately gnawed through her cage structure before dying on the living room floor; forensic evidence indicated the only water source she could access was a toilet basin holding dirty water.
A veterinary examination concluded that all six dogs and three rabbits suffered unnecessarily, enduring excruciating deaths caused by acute dehydration and malnutrition over a period lasting at least three days.
The investigation expanded to a connected residential property in West Cornforth, where inspectors discovered dozens more animals living in unacceptable squalor. Nine ferrets were kept in barren, soiled cages without hydration or enrichment; captive birds were confined with contaminated water supplies and exhibited damaged plumage; and reptiles were maintained with heat sources but completely deprived of lighting. A young rabbit named Midnight was severely emaciated, with skeletal structures protruding beneath her skin, while two juvenile dogs, Nova and Oreo, were found neglected and noticeably underweight.
When interviewed under caution regarding the fundamental statutory obligations owners owe to domestic animals, both Nathan and Jade Race responded that pets require “attention, food, water, love”, while smiling and laughing throughout the interview process.
The surviving animals, including Nova, Oreo, and Midnight, were seized by welfare officers, nursed back to full health, and placed with adoptive families. Rescued birds were transferred to Lincolnshire Wildlife Park and Jax’s Ark, while exotic reptiles were relocated to dedicated specialist facilities.
Appearing at Durham Crown Court on 31 July 2026, both defendants were sentenced for animal welfare offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Passing sentence, the judge handed down:
Nathan Race: A 20-month prison sentence, suspended, 180 hours of unpaid community work, and 30 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days
Jade Race: A 12-month prison sentence, suspended, and 40 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days
Alongside the suspended custodial orders, the court ordered:
An indefinite, lifetime disqualification order under Section 34 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, prohibiting both individuals from owning, keeping, or caring for animals
Statutory supervision and rehabilitation requirements under the direction of the Probation Service
Image – Anonymous Artist Impression
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