A woman in the UK who was found with 21 cats, a dog, and a large snake in her flat has been sentenced to prison. Despite attempts to save the cat through emergency treatment, a decision was later made to euthanize her due to her deteriorating health. An animal rescue official, Michael Harrington, identified the cat's owner as Rachel Shi In, 38. All animals were seized and taken to veterinary clinics to assess their health, with examinations revealing that nine cats were suffering health issues due to their basic needs not being met properly. Shi In appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, January 21, where she admitted to breaching the banning order and failing to provide adequate care for nine cats under her responsibility. The court renewed her lifetime ban on owning or keeping animals and ordered her to pay £500 (about $680) in costs. She was also sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, along with a requirement to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activities, 40 hours of unpaid work, and pay a victim surcharge of £154 (about $210). The 'Metro' newspaper quoted Shi In as saying she loves animals but took in a large number from friends who were traveling between the UK and China. UK police have renewed a woman's ban on keeping pets after 21 cats, a dog, and a large snake were found in her east London flat, despite her being under a lifetime ban since 2015. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) launched an investigation in January 2025 following a complaint from a vet who expressed concern about a cat brought to their clinic in a critical condition. The investigation revealed that Shi In, who had been issued a lifetime ban on owning animals in June 2015, had registered her pets under different names at several veterinary clinics in an attempt to circumvent the order. In February of last year, RSPCA officers, supported by police, raided a flat in the Hoxton area of east London, where they found the animals living in what were described as dirty and dangerous conditions.
