A Black Country woman has been banned from owning animals for 15 years after her starving dog had to be put down. Colleen Rathbone, from Willenhall, was also sentenced to four months custody, suspended for 12 months.
It comes after the 31-year-old pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences following an RSPCA probe. Her 13-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Mo, was taken to a vet on March 7 last year in a collapsed and emaciated condition.
The vet euthanised the pooch on welfare grounds and raised concerns with RSPCA that Mo had suffered prolonged neglect. Birmingham Live has chosen not to publish a photo of Mo as it is too distressing. In a report, the vet said: “The poor body condition, emaciation and hypoglycaemia are likely due to inadequate food intake, malnutrition or disease.
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“This level of emaciation and muscle wastage would have been a gradual development and taken at least 12-16 weeks to develop. To give comparison to Mo’s presenting body weight of 8.6kg (19lb), she weighed 18.5kg (40.8lb) when microchipped in 2014.
“The owner reported the dark discharge matted around Mo’s anus was due to dragging the dog along the garden after she collapsed. The copious amounts of melaena passed following euthanasia confirmed this was not the case.
“Melaena is caused by bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract and is likely due to stress, neoplasia or liver or kidney failure. In my opinion, it is unlikely that Mo had passed a motion of normal consistency the day before her examination in view of the extent of the melaena seen.
“She said Mo felt cold to the touch because she had been left outside in the garden during the course of the day since she collapsed. A rectal temperature of less than 32 degrees celsius would not in my opinion be caused by this.
“It was likely caused by circulatory collapse secondary to her poor condition. The low heart rate, prolonged capillary refill time, pale mucous membranes and hypothermia are likely to reflect circulatory compromise and shock.”
The vet said Rathbone had “failed” to “provide for the dog’s welfare” and protect Mo from pain, suffering and disease. “This is likely to have been occurring for a minimum of 12 weeks,” the vet added.
“As a result of this failure, it is my professional opinion that the owner led to the dog experiencing unnecessary pain and suffering. This level of suffering could have been avoided by attending to her needs appropriately and seeking veterinary treatment and care.”
Alongside the 15-year animal disqualification, which she can not appeal for ten years, Rathbone must pay £350 costs and a £154 victim surcharge. Rathboren, of Portobello Close, was also ordered to carry out 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days when she was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.
RSPCA Inspector Fiona Howell, who investigated the case, said: “Mo was in extremely poor body condition and had been losing weight for some time. No veterinary advice had been sought, instead she was left to suffer without the care she clearly needed.”