A WOMAN who was banned from keeping animals for 10 years has had the order doubled to 20 years, just 12 months after being convicted of cruelty.

Kathleen Davidson, 65, of Newport Road, Caldicot, was found with two lurcher-type dogs in her home, in flagrant breach of the original ban imposed in July 2018.

And as well as doubling the ban, magistrates also placed the pensioner under an electronic curfew for four months between the hours of 8pm and 6am, and ordered her to pay another £385 in costs and surcharges.

Last year, Davidson was ordered to pay £1,713 in fines and costs after RSPCA inspectors found a group of horses locked in a barn without food and water and an undernourished terrier-type dog with a skin condition and a urine infection.

Multiple warnings had been issued to her to rectify the problems, magistrates heard, which included other horses loose beside a river where animals had reportedly drowned, but she failed to act.

Davidson, who admitted three offfences of animal crulety at Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court last year, admitted breaching the 10-year disqualification when she appeared before Newport magistrates.

Reports from residents brought RSPCA inspectors back to her home, where they found her keeping two dogs named Oddball and Mickey, the court was told.

RSPCA inspector Emma Smith said: “Following several calls from members of the public a police warrant was carried out at her address where two lurcher-type dogs were found in a reasonable body condition.

“We would very much like to thank the public for being our eyes and ears and for letting us know this person was keeping animals despite her ban.”

A deprivation order for the two dogs was also made. Mickey has already been rehomed and Oddball is currently at the RSPCA Newport Animal Centre and is available for rehoming.

The original court case heard that RSPCA inspectors had made several visits to her site in Magor, and repeatedly found a group of horses locked in a barn without food and water and others loose beside the river.

After 11 horses, two of them suffering malnutrition, were removed, the RSPCA were also alerted to the poor condition of the terrier-type dog named Millie at Davidson’s Caldicot home.

Magistrates heard that after an initial visit, inspectors had issued multiple warning notices about caring properly for the animals.

But despite these warnings and offers of help and guidance, the situation did not improve and at the end of January 2018, they attended with a vet, who ordered the removal of the horses.

A chestnut mare called Cassie was found to be very skinny with arthritis, while chesnut gelding Zorro was thin and had an infected area around its genitals.

A few days later a call came into the animal welfare charity reporting concerns of an undernourished dog at the defendant’s home.

Davidson admitted failing to appropriately care for 11 horses, by not providing a suitable environment and diet including fresh drinking water, and causing unnecessary suffering to two of the horses and a dog by failing to address the cause of their poor body condition, weight loss and ailments

Inspector Emma Smith said after last year’s court case: “This was a classic example of someone who had taken on too much, and did not have the time or resources to care for their animals properly.

“It is frustrating as she was given lots of opportunities to turn things around and to make things right and we offered our assistance to help her.

“It is just a very sad situation, but there is no excuse for not caring for your animals properly,” she added.

The 11 horses and Millie were placed into the rehoming system so they could find homes.