Sentence: 5-year ban from owning or keeping animals, 12-month supervision order, 90 hours unpaid work
Brandon Hodge, 28, kept 18 birds including nine types of owl, three American kestrels, and a red-footed falcon tethered inside minuscule cages at a house in Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire, in May 2024. The cages were piled on top of each other, covered in faecal matter and waste, with the surrounding area littered with rubbish, maggots, and insects. The birds were left without food or water, covered in dirt, food, feathers, and faeces. The enclosures were so cramped the birds couldn't extend their wings. A Harris Hawk had to be put down due to its poor condition; a Eurasian eagle owl had damaged feathers on its right wing; an American kestrel was missing a foot. Several birds had filthy anklets contaminated with faeces. The conditions were described as overpowering in smell and among the worst seen by inspectors, moving one vet to tears. Many birds were successfully rehoused at sites like Edinburgh Zoo and the Scottish Owl Centre.