Fake animal rehoming owner told to ‘rot in prison’ after 41 pets found dead
The man behind a filthy pet rehoming center where 41 dead animals were found on the premises has been told to ‘rot in prison’ after being sentenced to five years in prison.
Oaveed Rahman, 26, claimed to have cared for the animals at Save A Paw rehoming center in Crays Hill, Billericay, Essex, but actually left them to suffer.
A veterinarian, who was called to the scene with the police last May 13, said he smelled rotting meat as soon as he got out of his car parked about 40 meters away from Rahman’s house.
The sentencing judge said dog remains were found in bins and throughout the area, with some piled up “like rubbish”.
Basildon Crown Court heard on Friday that veterinary surgeon Amy Cooper saw piles of bodies around the kennels, infested with rats and maggots.
The approximately 21 surviving dogs were kept in pens or confined to small areas.
Prosecutor Tom Godfrey told the court Ms Cooper had said in a statement: “I can honestly say what I smelled and saw was the most horrific thing I have ever seen.
“On a general initial examination, it was clear that all of these animals were suffering.”
Sentencing him, Judge Richard Conley said Rahman’s fraud was “an act of treason of epic proportions that destroyed many lives.”
He said Rahman persuaded well-behaved and well-intentioned pet owners to entrust their beloved animals to him.
“In fact, many of the animals taken by you…were subjected to long periods of barbaric mistreatment, cruelty and neglect,” Judge Conley said.
“Some died directly as a result.”
The court heard faeces were found in pens and cages and many of the dogs were severely underweight but had no access to food.
Ms Cooper said dogs kept in pens could face “mental turmoil” due to having open bags of food on the property that they could not access.
The victims, whose dogs were “re-homed” by Rahman and his supporters in the public gallery, wept as Mr Godfrey described the condition in which the animals were found.
Later, after Rahman was sentenced, a victim in court shouted at him via video link: “Fuck you bastard, I hope you rot in there you dirty bastard.”
Three of the 21 dogs were so sick they had to be put to sleep, and a poodle later went blind, the court heard.
Rahman had previously pleaded guilty to cruelty to 21 dogs and a cat and 11 counts of fraud by false representation.
When police first searched the rehoming center, where dogs were left wandering among carcasses, they found 37 dead dogs.
During a later visit, four more dead dogs were found when a shed was being demolished.
Emma Thompson said she felt “extremely traumatized” by what happened to her dog.
Planned to rehome her Dalmatian pointer cross after she showed signs of aggression and she was pregnant.
“I often think about how confused, scared and sad Lennon must have felt as he was taken from the family he loved and taken to Essex and to a stranger,” she said in a victim impact statement read to the court by Mr Godfrey.
“He would smell the death of other dogs in the facility.”
Ms Thompson paid Rahman a £300 “surrender fee” plus a further £200 in charitable donations.
Lennon was one of the dogs found dead in the initial raid.
Tina Davis, one of Rahman’s victims, took her dog Chad, a pocket bully, to Save A Paw to be rehomed after he got into a fight with her other dog.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, she said: “I was devastated at the prospect of giving up my dog but I knew it was essential for Chad to have the best life possible.
“I torture myself wondering how much he’s suffering.
“He must have thought I didn’t love him for leaving him in that terrible place… I question whether I can forgive myself.”
The court heard Chad was still missing.
The court heard some of Rahman’s victims contacted him through the Facebook page for Save A Paw, which had good reviews.
He was sometimes paid a “surrender fee” and also accepted “donations” to his organization, which he said was a victims’ charity; but in fact his application for charitable status was rejected.
Rahman took around £4,800 from his 11 victims and told them the money would be used to rehome the dogs, provide a new kennel block or train the dogs to behave around children and other animals.
He had promised to keep in touch with people about the condition of their dogs, but he often proved difficult to contact and in some cases blocked people who took their dogs to him, the court heard.
Officers said they spoke to people in 20 districts about Rahman’s crimes.
People as far away as Scotland have used Rahman’s services to “rehome” their dogs.
Inspector Leigh Norris, of Essex Police, said: “We will never truly know how disturbing or how far this behavior went.”
When Molly Pinkus said, mitigatingly, that Rahman was remorseful for his crimes, people in the public gallery sighed, kissed, nodded and even laughed.
Judge Conley had to ask for silence from the court to allow Ms. Pinkus to proceed.
He asked her for “some sense of motivation.”
“It is so impossible to understand what could possibly cause a person to do the things they do,” Judge Conley said.
“I can’t make sense of this, probation can’t make sense of it, the psychiatrist can’t make sense of it.”
He said that Rahman, who received special education, was mentally ill and started working with a real desire to take care of dogs.
Mr Godfrey said: “Rahman made the decision to house these dogs in inhumane conditions…whether this was a satisfaction derived from the power he was able to exercise over these dogs is a matter for your dignity, but it is difficult to see why else Rahman would have housed live dogs with dead dogs.”
Rahman appeared via video link from HMP Chelmsford on Friday and was wearing a gray cardigan.
He spoke only to confirm his name and plead guilty to the charge of owning a fighting dog, an XL bully.
XL bully Bella was also the victim of Rahman’s “callous mistreatment”, the judge said.
“I recognize that no sentence I can legally impose can adequately reflect the justified anger and disgust at what you have done,” the judge said.
“Some wrongs can’t be righted.”
He sentenced Rahman to 5 years in prison, including 38 months for animal cruelty.
The animal cruelty sentence and the fraud charges, which carry a 22-month prison sentence on each count, will all run concurrently.
He was also sentenced to three months in prison, to run concurrently, for owning the banned XL bully and was banned from owning dogs and cats for life.
Rahman will be able to apply to lift the ban after 15 years.
He was also sentenced to a deprivation order, meaning any dogs found on his property could be taken.
Costs will be discussed at a later date.
