Monthly Archives: November 2023

Dogs, Lifers, Worst of the Worst

Hastings, East Sussex: Mark Stables

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CONVICTED (2023) | Mark Stables, born 12 October 1981, of Grove Road, Hastings TN35 4JS – left a dog to suffer so much he had to be immediately put to sleep.

Animal abuser Mark Stables from Hastings, East Sussex

Stables let the five-year-old brown Chow dog suffer with open sores, underlying anaemia and fur matted in faeces and urine over the course of a month.

Chow Chase was severely neglected by Mark Stables from Hastings, West Sussex

The dog, named Chase, was put to sleep by a vet to “end his suffering”. The vet said he was lethargic and whimpering.

The RSPCA noticed a “strong foul smell” when they first found Chase in Beauport Caravan Park in St Leonards.

*Stables told the RSPCA he had only owned Case from March 12, 2022 but shared photos of the dog on social media as long ago as 2019

Stables signed the dog over to the charity after claiming to have had him for just under a month between March 12 and April 8, 2022*.

Animal abuser Mark Stables from Hastings, East Sussex

RSPCA inspector Tony Woodley said: “I was taken inside the caravan by Stables where I noticed a strong foul smell.

“I was shown a brown Chow dog lying on the floor in the bathroom. This dog was clearly distressed and unable to stand. The dog was wearing a harness. I could also see and feel that the dog was very underweight. I asked the owner of the dog if it had been treated by a vet and he said it had not.”

“This poor dog had clearly been left to suffer for a number of weeks by his owner.

Animal abuser Mark Stables' dogs Chase and Maisie
Stables had owned Chase and a second chow-type dog called Maisey for several years. This photo was posted to Facebook by Stables’ then partner in October 2018. We are advised that Maisey was rehomed and “living her best life”.

“He must have endured pain throughout this period due to the open sores obvious on his body. It is sad that despite the best attempts of the veterinary team, Chase had to be put to sleep to end his unnecessary suffering.

“Stables seriously failed in his responsibilities towards the animal. Poor Chase couldn’t even stand when I found him, yet Stables hadn’t acted or sought veterinary advice.

“The RSPCA urges anyone struggling to take care of their pet to ask for help, rather than neglecting them and leaving them to suffer.”

Sentencing | 18 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months; 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days; 200 hours of unpaid work;
ordered to pay £300 costs and a victim surcharge of £128. Indefinite ban on keeping animals.

The Argus

*A reliable source has told us that Stables had owned Chase since he was a puppy.

Dogs

Drypool, Kingston upon Hull: Kali Thorneycroft

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CONVICTED (2023) | Kali Thorneycroft of 78 Egton Street, Drypool, Hull HU8 7HU – failed to get veterinary treatment for his gravely ill dog.

Animal abuser: Selfish Kali Thorneycroft from Hull failed to get medical help for his dying pet dog 
Selfish Kali Thorneycroft failed to get medical help for his dying pet dog 

Thorneycroft, who has links to the Moseley area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to black and tan German Shepherd cross Arize by failing to provide veterinary care.

The court heard how Thorneycroft delayed seeking veterinary treatment for Arize, who was riddled with malignant tumours, including one on her neck which had spread to her lungs.

When Thorneycroft finally attended a PDSA clinic he ignored advice that Arize should be put to sleep for humane reasons. This meant that Arize was left to suffer unnecessarily for another three weeks.

Hull man Kali Thorneycroft prolonged his cancer-stricken dog's terrible suffering
Thorneycroft prolonged his cancer-stricken dog’s terrible suffering

Thorneycroft took the dog to see a PDSA vet on September 7 and 8, 2021, but at the second consultation, Arize could not stand. She was underweight with a body score condition of 2/9 and the vet felt a long lump on her neck. The vet told the defendant he should seek a second opinion at another vets if he didn’t agree with her recommendation and if that didn’t happen he would be reported to the RSPCA.

RSPCA inspector Natalie Hill visited the defendant’s home several times to check on the dog’s welfare and on September 30, 2021, she attended with a council environmental officer.

In her statement, inspector Hill said: “Arize was extremely underweight and during our time in the house she only stood for around three to four minutes. She had sunken eyes and her head was concave, she also had a large amount of mucus coming from her nose.”

The defendant told the inspector he believed Arize’s condition was improving.

Hull man Kali Thorneycroft prolonged his cancer-stricken dog's terrible suffering
Arize was put to sleep as her condition was terminal

The inspector took Arize to a Hull-based vets where it was observed her weight had dropped by 3.5 kg since she was weighed at the PDSA. The vet said the dog would have been suffering from chronic illness for around two months and decided, sadly, she would have to be put to sleep.

“I would have expected a reasonable owner to seek appropriate and prompt veterinary treatment and to follow the advice,” said the vet. “It was my clinical judgement that Arize’s poor condition was causing her to suffer, resulting in a severely diminished quality of life, and that investigation and treatment of disease would not be able to recover her to a condition conducive to an acceptable quality of life.”

In mitigation, the defendant said he contacted the PDSA a number of months before he presented the dog at the clinic and claimed he was unable to see a vet because of the coronavirus pandemic. He said he did not have the funds for a private consultation for a second opinion and was clinging onto the hope the dog would get better because of the strong bond he had with her.

Thorneycroft was not banned from keeping animals after magistrates noted there had been no issues with the care of his other dogs in the two years since Arize’s death. They felt that a financial penalty was sufficient punishment.

Sentencing | fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £200 and a victim surcharge of £34. No ban.

Yorkshire Press