Woman kept 140 SNAKES in sweet tubs and plastic bins stacked from floor to ceiling of her semi-detached house

A woman who kept 140 snakes in sweet jars and plastic bins at her home has pleaded guilty to animal welfare charges. 

Pauline Wallace, 64, kept the reptiles in an upstairs bedroom, living room and garage at her home in York. 

York Magsitrates' Court heard how 20 dead snakes and a dead cat were also found in a freezer at the semi-detached house the woman shares with her elderly mother. 

Pauline Wallace kept over 100 live snakes in plastic containers stacked from floor to ceiling in her home

Wallace was found guilty of failing to ensure the snakes' welfare by keeping them in jars and boxes at her semi-detached house

RSPCA inspectors visited the property in July after receiving a call expressing concern for the animals' welfare. 

Wallace kept the snakes in plastic sweet jars, bins and vivariums that were stacked from floor to ceiling though she couldn't say exactly how many pets she had. 

 

She also pleaded guilty to two charges of animal cruelty in relation to a border collie. 

RSPCA prosecutor Phil Brown told the court the defendant was prepared to plead guilty to a number of the charges she faced. 

JPs ruled the 64-year-old also failed to provide the appropriate environment for the snakes to exhibit 'normal' behavior

The RSPCA visited the house the woman shares with her elderly mother after receiving a tip-off expressing concern for the animals' welfare

The court heard how Pauline Wallace (pictured leaving court today) is on an 18-month waiting list to receive treatment for unspecified health problems. She will be sentenced in January 

She admitted seven charges of failing to ensure the needs of the animals were met between August and September. 

Twenty dead snakes and a dead cat were also found at the woman's home in York (pictured)

The defendant also pleaded guilty to failing to provide the snakes a proper environment and failing to protect them from pain, injury, suffering or disease.

Among the reptiles found at the house was a Blood Python, a Salmon Hypo Boa and  Cinder boa. 

Wallace previously pleaded guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, admitting that she failed to provide veterinary care to the border collie that suffers ecto-parasitism.

Mr Brown told magistrates that the prosecution accepted her guilty pleas and would be offering no other evidence to ten other animal cruelty charges she faced.

The court heard how Wallace was on an 18-month waiting list to see a medical specialist for unspecified health problems. 

Her lawyer, David Ward, said the defendant also had 'some issues with the family' and asked for sufficient time to prepare a medical report. 

Chairman of the bench, Malcolm Smith told Wallace who was released on bail: 'You have pleaded guilty on the first day of your trial. 

'Some credit will be due in terms of any sentence although clearly not full credit.' 

Sentencing was adjourned until January 16.