XL bullies and oil spills: The RSPCA at 200

“These animals are living in darkness, pitch black, no ventilation, no light, no space, just wading around in their own excrement,” says Michelle.

“They’ve got mites, they might have ring worm, we’ve got injuries from fighting because of overcrowding.”

They have also been reproducing, she adds, and some of the young are “very thin”.

The owner is an elderly woman who has kept large numbers of pets for over five decades.

She appears close to tears as the inspectors go through the cages, questioning her about the welfare of the animals.

Despite the evidently awful conditions, the woman’s husband remains fiercely protective of her.

Michelle says it all indicates an addiction to animal collecting, even hoarding.

The majority of the pets are subsequently confiscated, going to animal centres across the Midlands and north of England, leaving the couple with just a handful.

The RSPCA says court action is an absolute last resort. Because the owners co-operated with the inspectors and were considered “vulnerable”, they narrowly avoided a prosecution.