Rodney Steven Osborne Ferguson and Ashlee Marie Warren: Port Kennedy couple convicted of animal cruelty

A couple who left two dogs to starve in their abandoned State housing property in Port Kennedy failed to show in court on Tuesday to face serious animal cruelty charges. Rodney Steven Osborne Ferguson and Ashlee Marie Warren were convicted in their absence of animal cruelty and banned from owning a pet for five years after failing to provide two emaciated male Staffordshire-terriers with sufficient food or water. Ferguson, 36, was fined $4000 and ordered to pay $672 in vet and legal costs over the matter involving five-year-old and three-year-old dogs known as Houston and Houdini. As well as the cruelty charges, she was also convicted of failing to comply with directions provided by an RSPCA investigator when they attended the property and for abandoning the dogs in the rental home’s backyard when the couple moved. The RSPCA said, when its representative arrived at the Port Kennedy property in early 2023 to investigate an animal cruelty allegation, Warren slammed the door in the inspector’s face, who then left a notice attached to the door. Not long after the initial visit, a second cruelty report was made alleging two underweight dogs had been abandoned on the property. The Department of Communities confirmed the tenants had moved on and returned the keys. The inspector observed both dogs in poor body condition with the outline of their ribs, hips and spine protruding, and the animals were surrendered to RSPCA WA. A vet inspection revealed Houston weighed only 13.1kg when he should have been about 22kg and Houdini weighed 10.3kg, well short of an ideal body weight of 18kg. While in care, Houston collapsed in his kennel, which the vet suspected for due to weakness or hypovolaemia. Both dogs were put on feeding regimes, reached their ideal body weight a month later and were eventually adopted into different homes. Ferguson and Warren did not make an appearance for their Tuesday court date in Rockingham and were found guilty and sentenced by Magistrate Brian Mahon in their absence.