Man pleads guilty to keeping 19 birds locked in dirty cages

A man has pleaded guilty to keeping 19 birds of prey locked in cat carriers – in a case that made vets cry.

Brandon Hodge, 28, was investigated after the Scottish SPCA received reports concerning the welfare of birds at his Greenock home in Scotland.

Police were granted a warrant to search the property in May 2024, alongside veterinary surgeons and Scottish SPCA inspectors.

When they entered Hodge’s home, they found 19 birds of prey, kept in “filthy” dog and cat carriers – and in such poor condition, the vets were brought to tears.

The birds, a variety of owls, hawks and kestrels, were surrounded by faecal matter, maggots, and the remains of chicks, with many birds sporting significant injuries.

One Scottish SPCA SIU Inspector said: “This is one of the worst cases I’ve worked on regarding bird welfare.

“The birds were seriously distressed, in an unsanitary and inappropriate environment, being subject to severe mental and physical suffering.

“Upon entering the property, it was clear that the conditions of the home were unsanitary: large deposits of rubbish were covering most surfaces and a pungent odour permeated the air.

“Nineteen birds of prey and owls were found confined inside dog and cat carriers encrusted with faecal matter and waste upstairs.

“On the floor, surrounding the carriers the birds were constrained in, was a significant build-up of faecal matter and waste infested by maggots and insects.

“The smell of the room was overpowering, curtains were closed so the room was shrouded in darkness and no fresh water was provided for the birds.

“The poor condition the birds were in and suffering they had endured significantly upset all involved in bringing this case to light.

“Upon entering the room the birds were being kept within, our experienced vets were brought to tears.”

None of the birds had water, or enough space to stretch their wings.

A Eurasian Eagle Owl was found to have broken primary feathers on the right wing, while a Northern White-Faced Owl was suffering from a lesion which had likely become infected.

An American Kestrel was missing a foot, and a Harris’s Hawk had suffered a severe constriction lesion from being tied on a leash that had become trapped in the carrier door.

Hodge plead guilty at Greenock Sheriff Court on 8 October to two charges related to animal welfare, and sentencing will take place on 4 November.

The birds have been removed from his care and relocated to centres across Scotland, including the Scottish Owl Centre and Edinburgh Zoo.