posted June 15, 2005 01:26 AM         

LONDON (June 14) - British animal welfare inspectors said on Tuesday they had cautioned two people after finding more than 350 animals in one residential house in eastern England.

The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) said its inspectors had discovered 131 dogs, 48 cats, 80 rabbits and 86 guinea pigs at the house in Cromer, Norfolk.

The premises were described as cramped and unhygienic and the RSPCA said some of the animals were in such a bad condition it was likely they would be destroyed.

RSPCA Superintendent Tim Wass said the case showed that advice their officers gave the public was often ignored and a change in the law was needed to allow them to take action before an animal actually suffered.

"In this case, we visited the address previously and had given advice relating to conditions found at the time. Sadly, it seems that advice was not heeded," he said.

On Friday a woman who the RSPCA found keeping 271 pets in her home in appalling conditions was jailed for three months for animal cruelty.

06/14/05 12:28 ET

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.