How could this have happened?! Trigger warning - child / animal neglect

[ljs22]

I don't usually post links to articles - please delete if not allowed.

This made me so angry and upset. How and why can this happen??

This couple claimed 7k per month in benefits yet seriously neglected 7 children and 36 dogs. This is disgraceful. One child had to have all their teeth removed under general anaesthetic as they were so decayed. Another child discouraged from attending school and made to look after the others. A child found covered in animal faeces next to a deceased dog. Utterly heartbreaking and absolutely infuriating at the same time.

I don't know what I'm posting for, I'm just upset and angry. Why did this happen? They can't exactly claim poverty on 7k per month, so why were these children not provided for?? Are they just selfish / evil people?!

yes, he called the police because he was going to kill her
what a mess
www.theargus.co.uk/news/23109083.inside-filthy-home-couple-jailed-child-neglect/?dicbo=v2-90b2d061ef4b13f6bc991f1f29cccafd

glad it is over

@Saltywalruss think you need to reread what I have written. I haven’t said anything negative about homes homeschooling but pointed out that concerns were being raised about them many years ago and they took their children out of school.

i hope the children are protected from the case being so public now, particularly the older children

I can't believe that one or two PP are saying that the fact they were on benefits isn't relevant. Of course it is relevant in this particular case. The couple were receiving a high amount of disability benefit for their children, but instead used the money to fund their own lifestyle whilst neglecting the kids. They made a living on the backs of their poor children for whom the money was intended. It is exactly a case like this that can make things difficult for other people who are most in need of this sort of benefit. It is all relevant, and those who are saying it isn't are letting defensiveness get in the way of common sense.

the parents obviously didnt have any common sense with so many dogs/puppies

turns out according to Telegraph, they paid £1,600, in mortgage payments
and the dogs interbred

Maybe stupid question but is it legal to own that many dogs without a license? If so I feel like it shouldn’t be. It’s always the really looney people that have a million dogs or cats.

Dog licenses were abolished in 1988 apparently because they were unenforceable so they weren’t breaking the law simply by owning the dogs. You would imagine they were breaking multiple lease stipulations though, never mind what SS would have said had they gained entrance to the property before this fiasco.

they had a mortgage according to The Telegraph

How can any family get 7k pm in benefits? Most people I know get a very small
amount.

8 children, i read,
he didnt work
no idea

I don’t think it serves anyone well to try and figure out why people do bad things. We will never know, there isn’t a magical answer that will make us feel better

Not sure what the answer is but it shouldn’t be so easy to just get pet dogs, breed dogs, own as many dogs as you want. I know of a fair few people who really shouldn’t have dogs and one or two who have bred them as well.

"It is exactly a case like this that can make things difficult for other people who are most in need of this sort of benefit."

Reasonable people can see that this case is extreme. I just feel sorry for those kids and hope they are having better lives now.
"How can any family get 7k pm in benefits?"

A family with multiple people with high needs. Alternative ways of meeting those needs are more expensive.

It's not that unusual to live in squalid conditions with dogs that aren't house trained. In a professional capacity I have been to several such homes, where the carpets are squelching with dog faeces and it coats the walls to the level of a dog's wagging tail. If there are no children no one is really interested unless the dogs are a noise nuisance. You wouldn't necessarily know from outside how bad it was, the inhabitants smell a bit but many people do. It's easy to see how these cases can get missed. Very few professionals actually visit your home after you finish with HV visits at about 6 months. For those who aren't in rented accommodation and aren't getting landlord checks it's even less likely anyone would visit the house.
I am sure it's inability to cope that has caused this. Someone who deliberately was ripping off the system would keep the house clean. Who wants to live in this way? There must be mental health problems and the patents probably also came from abusive or neglected backgrounds.

I agree, the most stupid, careless and selfish people I know all have dogs and can’t look after them properly. I also know some amazing dog owners but too many idiots own dogs. BIL has two of those XL bullies, they’re like a pair of lions, and he lives in a 1 bed flat with no yard. It’s disgraceful!

It won't end well for BIL then, what an idiot keeping two dogs like that in a 1 bed flat.

That breed seems to have become really popular with a certain type of person these past few years. It's the sort who want them as a status symbol and like the fact people will be intimidated.

That’s exactly it. Their ears are also clipped and despite me showing evidence from the RSPCA that this is harmful he insists it’s to prevent ear infections 🙄 tit