A woman has been arrested after a man in his 70s and several dogs were found dead at a house in West Derby, Merseyside. Police have been stationed outside the property on Coachmans Drive since Friday evening, June 5, following the discovery.
Police Investigation Underway
Emergency services were called to the address at around 6.10pm on Friday after reports of a man's death. Upon arrival, officers found a number of dogs inside the home, some of which had also died. The man's death is currently being treated as unexplained, and a post-mortem examination has been conducted, with toxicology tests ongoing.
A 55-year-old woman from West Derby has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, ill-treatment or wilful neglect of a person, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. She has been conditionally bailed pending further inquiries.
Police Appeal for Information
Detectives are working to locate the man's next of kin and are urging anyone who may know him to come forward. Temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Bennett said: "Our thoughts at this time are with the family of the man who has sadly passed away. As this matter is clearly in the very early stages, we would ask people to avoid speculating and allow us to carry out our enquiries. Although we have arrested a person in connection with the investigation, we are still appealing for anyone with information to come forward."
The RSPCA has confirmed it is liaising with Merseyside Police but is limited in what it can share while the investigation is ongoing.
How to Help
Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police via X or Facebook @MerPolCC, report online at the Merseyside Police website, or call 101 quoting incident reference 26000448704. Alternatively, the independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their online form.
