A petsitter and her partner have faced court after shocking video emerged of them abusing dogs while their owners were on holiday.
Paige Williams, 26, and her partner Bradley Regan Archer, 27, stayed at the family’s Balsall Common home and looked after their pets while they were away. Williams worked as a commercial petsitter and operated under the name Fur & Filly PetCare Services.
The family had used Williams several times over the years, so they had no concern leaving her with their animals for a four-week period in 2024.
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It wasn’t until the family returned and looked back at footage captured on security cameras, that the horror of what had happened was uncovered.
According to a statement provided by the RSPCA, the pair were caught on camera abusing the family’s two German Shorthaired Pointers — a 13-month-old dog called Ayrton and a three-year-old dog called Frieda.
“Both were caught on camera shouting and swearing at the dogs, roughly dragging Ayrton and Freida by their collars, holding them off the ground, pushing them through doorways and pushing them down,” the statement read.
In one of the clips, Williams appears to address the owners directly, via the camera, and says: “I will never look after your dogs again, my animals have suffered this month. My animals. I’ve had enough.”
The horrified family submitted 51 videos of evidence to the RSPCA who then launched an investigation.
Bradley Regan Archer was captured on video abusing the pets. Credit: TN
The couple appeared in court on Wednesday where they both pleaded guilty to one offence of failing to meet the needs of two dogs under the Animal Welfare Act.
Williams was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work, and Archer received a 12-month community order with 40 hours of unpaid work.
Both were banned from keeping all animals for seven years. This means Williams can no longer operate as a commercial petsitter.
RSPCA Inspector Ben Jones carried out the investigation, and after court said the pair had “betrayed” the family’s trust.
“It’s a big decision to leave your pets in the care of someone else and, in this case, the family were leaving their pets with someone they felt they could trust.
“Sadly, Williams and Archer betrayed their trust with care that fell below the standards the law requires, with Ayrton and Feida subject to four weeks of wanton intimidatory behaviour and abuse.”
Mr Jones added that Ayrton appeared to have copped the brunt of the couple’s abuse, being “locked in a crate which left him crying and whining”.
“He was handled very inappropriately, with a slip lead used to yank him around and even flip him up into the air. When he jumped up at Archer he was whipped at several times with the same lead.”
A vet who watched the footage said in court that Ayrton and Frieda showed signs of “anxiety and stress” and were treated in a way that would have “negatively affected their mental welfare and physical welfare”.
Despite being “anxious and distressed” when they were reunited with their family, the dogs are said to be doing well. However, the family said the incident has left a lasting impact on all of them.
