London
(ANI):
The
couple
who
supplied
owls
for
a
harry
potter
flick
have
landed
in
a
legal
trouble.
Veronica
Mepham,
70,
and
husband
Reinhard,
64,
who
run
an
animal
sanctuary,
have
appeared
in
court
on
36
cruelty
charges.
They
are
accused
of
causing
unnecessary
suffering
to
18
animals
including
guinea
pigs,
a
goat,
a
rabbit
and
a
hen.
They
supplied
a
tawny
owl
called
Cuddles
for
harry
potter
and
the
Goblet
of
Fire.
The
couple,
who
run
Rescuers
Wildlife
Sanctuary
in
Benfleet,
Essex,
face
18
charges
each,
including
failing
to
put
sick
animals
down.
The
couple
did
not
enter
pleas.
Southend
magistrates
heard
that
negotiations
were
taking
place
and
the
RSPCA
was
prepared
to
drop
the
case
if
the
couple
retired
and
re-homed
the
animals.
“We
love
animals,
we
would
never
be
cruel
to
them," the
Daily
Express
quoted
Mepham
as
saying.