The ‘barbaric’ owner of a filthy and stinking animal rescue centre where the carcasses of 41 dogs were found was jailed for five years today.
Oaveed Rahman, 27, took thousands of pounds from people who left him their pets when they were unable to continue looking after them.
He promised to stay in touch with them to let them know how the animals were doing but would then become difficult to contact or would block them on social media.
Concerns were raised through Action Fraud and a police raid at Save A Paw in Crays Hill, Essex, revealed the hellish scenes.
Remains of dogs were found in bins, outbuildings and gardens at the property, that also served as Rahman’s home.
The bodies were riddled with maggots and the site was also infested with rats.
Veterinary surgeon Amy Cooper, who attended the scene with police on May 13 last year, said in a statement that the putrid odour immediately hit her as she left her car, which was parked 130ft away.
‘I can honestly say what I smelt and saw was the most horrific thing I have ever seen,’ she said.
Oaveed Rahman, 27, is handcuffed at the stinking premises of unregistered Save A Paw in Crays Hill, Essex, where 37 dogs’ carcasses were found. Four more would be discovered at a later date
Pens and cages were covered in faeces and surviving dogs were severely underweight but were tormented by the fact that they could smell open bags of food nearby but were unable to get to them.
One pet was so traumatised it was no longer able to bark.
Rahman, who appeared at Basildon Crown Court by videolink today, has been on remand at Chelmsford Prison since his arrest last year.
He was given a 38-month jail term after admitting cruelty against 21 dogs and a cat that were left without food and water, and a consecutive 22 months for 11 counts of fraud by false representation which he pleaded guilty to.
A concurrent three-year sentence was imposed for owning a fighting dog, namely an unlicensed XL Bully.
Campaigners complained he had slipped through a gap in the law as the deliberate killing of animals is not a recognised offence and he could only be prosecuted for the cruelty.
The dead animals were so badly decomposed that post-mortem examination could not be carried out.
Critics also fear scores of other animals may have died there – including exotic creatures such as marmoset monkeys and a llama which he posted about online – as they remain unaccounted for.
Desperate dog owners appealed for information about the rescue centre as they became concerned about animals’ welfare
Police raided the site on May 13 last year. A vet who accompanied them said she could smell the putrid odour as soon as she got out of her car, which was parked 130ft away
Judge Richard Conley told the privately educated defendant he had committed an ‘act of betrayal of epic proportion that has devastated many lives’.
He added: ‘You managed to convince dog owners through personal charm and persuasion to hand over their pets and, in many cases, significant quantities of cash on a series of promises you would provide their beloved pets with a home.
‘All of those animals received none of those things but instead you subjected them to prolonged and barbaric misdeeds and neglect.
‘All of them endured unbelievable pain, misery and torment.’
Rahman was also banned from owning cats or dogs for life. He can apply to lift the disqualification after 15 years.
An angry mob of around 50 people, including owners of dogs that perished at Save A Paw and other animal lovers, had been prevented from entering the court by police before the hearing because of concerns about ‘crowd control’.
Around 30 were eventually let in but had to be told to calm down by Judge Richard Conley as they sighed, tutted and laughed when the defendant’s lawyer said he had expressed remorse for his crimes. Many also sobbed throughout the hearing.
The court was told that Rahman, who had previously worked as an estate agent and in the hotel industry, had advertised his rehoming and training services for his unregistered charity on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Oaveed, seen in an Essex Police custody photo, admitted animal cruelty and fraud by false representation
Angry protesters were prevented from entering the court building by police at first because of concerns about ‘crowd control’
Police officers speak to handcuffed Rahman at the site, where he also lived. Pens and cages were filled with faeces, dog carcasses were riddled with maggots and the premises were infested with rats
When police visited his premises, 37 dead dogs were found and another four were discovered when a shed was demolished at a later date.
Police also recovered 21 live dogs but three were so unwell they had to be put down and another went blind.
Victim impact statements read out by prosecutor Tom Godfrey included one from Emma Thompson, who had to give up her dalmatian pointer cross, Lennon, because he had shown signs of aggression when she was pregnant.
Ms Thompson, who gave Rahman £500 towards her pet’s care, said she was ‘extremely traumatised’ at the thought of ‘how confused, scared and sad Lennon must have felt. Hers was one of the dogs found dead.
She added: ‘He would have smelt the death of other dogs at the property.’
Tim Davis was ‘devastated’ at having to rehome his pet Chad after he had a fight with another dog. The dog’s remains were never found.
He said: ‘I torture myself, wondering how much he suffered.’
Police spoke to people in 20 counties and as far afield as Scotland after launching their investigation.
Dog owners and animal lovers in the court sighed, tutted and laughed as the defendant’s lawyer said he had expressed remorse for his crimes. Many also sobbed throughout the hearing
Campaigners claim up to 180 other animals, including exotic creatures such as this marmoset and a llama, appeared on the defendant’s social media accounts and are unaccounted for
During a police interview, the defendant claimed he had not charged a fee to save dogs and some of those that died had been ‘abandoned by their owners’.
Inspector Steve Parry, of Essex Police, said: ‘This was an unprecedented investigation.
‘The scenes which officers encountered, the treatment of the dogs found alive and the scale of it were deeply upsetting for all who attended.’
One officer who took part in the raid said: ‘There is not a day when I do not think about the dogs… This was one of the most distressing and revolting jobs.’
Molly Pinkus, defending, had to wait for Judge Conley to demand quiet in court as she spoke of her client’s remorse.
Asked what Rahman’s motivation was for the crimes as it is ‘so impossible to understand what can cause a person to do the things that he did’, she told him he suffered from depression and had started the enterprise with good intentions.
Mr Godfrey said: ‘Rahman made the decision to house those dogs in inhuman conditions.
‘Whether this was some satisfaction from the power that he was able to exert over these dogs is a matter for Your Honour.
‘But it is difficult to see why else Rahman would house the live dogs with the deceased dogs.’
Campaigners who combed through Rahman’s social media accounts estimate at least 180 other animals are unaccounted for, although this was not heard in court and there is no hard evidence to back this up.
A Basildon Council spokesman said: ‘This has been a deeply distressing case and our thoughts remain with everyone affected by what has come to light.’
