In Nelson, New Zealand, waking up to a mattress covered in dog and human poo was a reality for two young children. The house in question reeked of cigarette smoke and had a mountainous pile of rubbish in an around it. There were soiled nappies with maggots crawling out of it and mouse droppings.
Methamphetamine and cannabis utensils were found in the cupboards just next to kids’ clothes and toys; and feces and urine from the toilet flushed into the children’s play area, where the dogs were kept.
The landlord of the property, Sinead Ogilvie, initially became concerned when she saw dogs living in their own excrement in the backyard of the property. She then called Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS ) who didn’t do much to protect the kids.
The landlord previously asked the couple living there to clean up the property but she alleges that they threatened to “rape me and kill me and burn the house down”.
Another family member also asked the occupants to clean up but they were completely unaware of how unhygienic their living conditions really were.
When contacting CYFS, Ogilvie was told that the family’s situation did not require urgent attention as their environment “wasn’t life threatening” but since the discovery, they have admitted that its assessment of the family living situation as “poor”.
Operations manager, Helen Aiken told ONE News that the government agency had not done a “good enough job” in an assessment of the family.
She said that the family had since moved out of the house: ”
We have been to visit the children in their current environment and we will be monitoring it closely to ensure their safety and wellbeing,” said Aiken
She also added that “We will continue to work with the children and their family to find a solution to the issues they face in coordination with other relevant agencies and family members.”
“The children’s welfare is the first and paramount consideration” and “Any decision made will be based on what is in their best interests.”