A family has spoken of their shock after discovering their pet sitters had repeatedly abused their dogs while they were on holiday. The couple, from Balsall Common, returned from a four-week trip in July and August 2024 to find their two German Shorthaired Pointers showing signs of distress. Footage from kitchen and garden cameras revealed the sustained mistreatment.
Paige Williams, 26, of Kenilworth Road, Knowle, had been paid £1,400 to look after three dogs, two cats and two birds under her business Fur & Filly PetCare Services. Her partner, Bradley Regan Archer, 27, joined her at the property. The couple were caught on camera shouting at the dogs, dragging them by their collars, lifting them off the ground and pushing them to the floor. The owners submitted 51 videos to the RSPCA as evidence.
In one clip, Williams, who was pregnant at the time, appeared to address the owners directly through the camera, saying: "I will never look after your dogs again... I’ve had enough." The family did not pay the invoice. RSPCA inspectors said the abuse mainly targeted Ayrton, a 13-month-old dog, and Frieda, aged three. Ayrton was recorded being locked in a crate, tethered to a tree with water out of reach, chased with a stick, and yanked with a slip lead.
Both defendants appeared at Coventry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 8 April. Williams pleaded guilty to one offence of failing to meet the needs of two dogs under the Animal Welfare Act. Archer, who had initially denied the charge, changed his plea on the day. Williams was handed a 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work, while Archer received a 12-month community order with 40 hours of unpaid work. Both were ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge, and were banned from keeping all animals for seven years.
RSPCA Inspector Ben Jones, who investigated the case, said the abuse was particularly shocking because the couple were aware of the cameras. "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," he said. A vet who watched the footage said both dogs showed signs of anxiety and stress that would have negatively affected their mental and physical welfare. In mitigation, the court heard Ayrton was a lively, young dog and that Williams was struggling with hormonal changes in early pregnancy.
