Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Worst of the Worst

Walton, Liverpool: Rachel Foster and Stephen O’Donnell

April 4, 2024 misanthropic 2 Comments

CONVICTED (2024) | Rachel Foster, born 17 March 1985, and Stephen O’Donnell, born 21 December 1985, of 107 East Lancashire Road, Walton, Liverpool L11 3DN – left a young Mastiff to starve to death alone in an outside kennel.

RSPCA prosecution of Liverpool couple Rachel Foster and Stephen O'Donnell, who left a dog in a kennel to starve to death.

Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Hannah Yen attended the home of Foster and O’Donnell in July 2023 following a report about an underweight, collapsed dog in the garden.

She said: “The garden was overgrown and only a small area by the door was accessible. Mr O’Donnell said the dog was called Zeus, he was 22 months old and was a mastiff breed.

“I looked in the kennel, there were flies on the dog and the dog’s body condition was poor. I could see no chest movement, the dog was cold to touch and sadly the dog was dead.

“Mr O’Donnell said he planned to bury Zeus, but I explained that I would need to take the body to be examined by a vet.”

ARO Yen said that O’Donnell had told her that “he had put the dog out in the evening and when he checked on him the next morning he found the dog was dead.”

The rescue officer passed the case over to RSPCA Inspector Caren Goodman-James who investigated.

She found that Zeus had been left unattended without food or water – which had resulted in his death.

The court heard how the vet report stated Zeus most likely died due to emaciation caused by a lack of nutrition.

He weighed just 18.9kg (41.7lb) and was severely emaciated with his ribs, spine and pelvic bones all prominent. There was no palpable fat tissue on him suggesting he had been given insufficient nutrition for a period of at least two months.

The vet report said: “On examination, the body was extremely thin. There were no symptoms of any obvious disorder or injuries which would cause death.

“Regardless of the cause of severe weight loss, a reasonable owner should have sought veterinary attention for the dog in that state.

“In my opinion Zeus was suffering prior to death due to hunger, weakness and fear. The process of weight loss was chronic – muscle and fat tissue loss was present which happens when the body starts using these tissues as an emergency resource of energy in the case of prolonged hunger. I can estimate the duration for approximately two months, but likely longer.”

Foster and O’Donnell were given 28 days to rehome their bearded dragon, failing which ownership will transfer to the RSPCA to find him a new home.

Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA Inspector Goodman-James said: “This was a sad case involving the unnecessary death of a poor emaciated dog. We know that times can be tough with the cost of living crisis which may mean owners struggle to afford their pets but to allow a poor dog to starve as a result is incredibly cruel.

“We’d urge anyone who is struggling to reach out for help from friends and family, find a pet foodbank near you, ask a charity for advice and support, and always contact a vet immediately if you have concerns for the health of your pet.”

Sentencing | 18-month custodial suspended for 12 months; 200 hours of unpaid work; 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days each; £154 victim surcharge. Banned from keeping all animals for 20 years – which neither can appeal for 15 years.

Dogs Today
News from the North
Liverpool Echo

Cats, Dogs, Multiple Species, Serial Animal Abusers

South Shields, Tyne and Wear: Bryan Owens and Katrina Elstob

April 3, 2024 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Bryan Owens and previous offender Katrina Bernadette Elstob of 48 Fox Avenue, South Shields NE34 9RN – failed to address their pets’ health conditions and weight loss.

RSPCA prosecution of South Shields couple Katrina Elstob and Bryan Owens in relation to a dog called Jack and a cat called Jess.

Elstob, who was previously banned from owning animals, and partner Bryan Owens admitted cruelty to an elderly Jack Russell called Jack and a cat named Jess. Jack was in poor bodily condition, suffering skin inflammation and dental disease and was infested with fleas, while Jess had an untreated skin condition.

RSPCA Inspector Trevor Walker visited the couple in September 2023 and was immediately concerned about the poor condition of Jack and Jess.

In his witness statement he said: “I observed an aged and very lean, Jack Russell Terrier type dog, that would have been described as tri-coloured at one stage, but now appeared more yellow possibly due to a heavy flea burden and his age.

“The cat, a medium long haired brown cat appeared in better condition, but once I had picked him up I could feel the very scabby skin under his medium long haired coat.”

RSPCA Inspector Walker transported Jack and Jess to a vet for further examination.

Inspector Walker continued in his witness statement: “Arriving at the door to the vet’s surgery, I noticed [Jack] was lapping the rain water that had collected on the top of the drainage cover, indicating that he was dehydrated.

“This condition was confirmed inside the consultation room when he drank from a bowl of fresh water for an entire minute, before it was removed.”

The vet said in their witness statement about Jack the dog: “There were four main concerns which included a very poor body condition score, which would have likely been present for at least a few months, a heavy flea infestation, secondary skin inflammation and severe dental disease.

“Based on the examination and the further test results; Jack had experienced unnecessary and avoidable suffering.”

Following the case, Jack and Jess were officially signed over to the care of RSPCA, where staff will now look to find them both loving new homes.

Sentencing |
Elstob – ordered to pay a fine of £164, a £66 victim surcharge and £250 in costs.
Owens -ordered to pay a fine of £80, a £32 victim surcharge and £250 in costs.
Both were given a seven year ban on owning all animals, with no appeal for five years (expires April 2031).

Shields Gazette

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Worst of the Worst

St Helens, Merseyside: Phillip Boyer

April 3, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Phillip Boyer, born 4 December 2004, of Waterdale Crescent, St Helens WA9 3PD – left an XL Bully to die in a rubbish and faeces-strewn flat.

RSPCA prosecution of Phillip Boyer from St Helens, Merseyside. — A 2019 image of alcoholic junkie Phil Boyer, who turned a blind eye to his dog’s suffering and left her to die in pain

Police found the female tan and white XL bully, named Cali, lying dead in the filthy living room of Boyer’s flat in Waterdale Crescent, St Helens, on June 15, 2023. She was very thin and suffering from canine parvovirus which had not been treated.

An RSPCA inspector attending the scene described being met with a pungent overpowering smell of urine, faeces and decomposition, and saw no sign of food or water for the dog.

Boyer, who admitted being reliant on alcohol and drugs, pleaded guilty to three offences contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

He said in an interview that he hadn’t noticed Cali’s weight loss.

The court heard that RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cooper had gone to the property following the police’s request.

In written evidence she said: “Each room I looked in was filthy and littered with rubbish. In the lounge there was a really pungent overpowering smell of urine, faeces and decomposition. I could see what appeared to be smears of faeces all over the floor and up the walls.

“Over towards the television stand in the corner of the room I could see a dead white bull breed dog that looked to be in very thin bodily condition, with her ribs, hips and backbone prominent.

“Cali’s fur looked to be stained brown on her legs and back end. There was also what looked like a brown dried patch of diarrhoea on the floor underneath her rear end. There was a mop bucket nearby that looked thick, brown and dirty with faeces. The floor was littered with rubbish and hazards such as broken glass. I didn’t see any sign of food or water provided for Cali.”

The inspector also took photographs of a shed in the communal garden where Cali was said to have been kept, sometimes for hours at a time. The wooden door and frame appeared to have been chewed and there were splinters all over the floor.

A vet from the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital examined the dog later the same day. She gave Cali a body condition score of two out of nine and said her ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones were easily visible and she had no palpable fat.

The result of a faecal sample showed Cali had canine parvovirus, a highly contagious virus that can be fatal to dogs, with puppies and unvaccinated dogs most at risk.

In her evidence to the court, the vet said: “Parvovirus can cause rapid deterioration and suffering if no veterinary intervention is provided. The duration of these failings will be a minimum of several days, the duration of the environmental failings is likely to be for a period of weeks looking at the evidence presented. Regardless of the cause of poor body condition and diarrhoea, the owner should have sought veterinary advice to relieve her suffering.

“Cali will have undoubtedly felt weakness and debilitation having a severe lack of energy, worsened by the haemorrhagic diarrhoea. This will have been uncomfortable and severely impacted her everyday life, ability to move, to obtain food or water and even to play.

“I would expect a responsible owner to seek veterinary attention should their pet become underweight, to a point that they were below point 4 out of 9 on the body condition score, moreover, if their animal became weak or lethargic.”

The court was told that in the weeks that followed Inspector Cooper made repeated attempts to speak to Boyer about potential animal welfare offences, but most of the calls went straight to voicemail or the line would go dead when she said who she was.

With the assistance of police, he was located and finally interviewed in November about what had happened to Cali.

In interview, Boyer said he was reliant on alcohol and drugs and struggled to buy food for himself and Cali. He said he didn’t notice her weight loss, suggesting that she had always been a lean dog, and he hadn’t taken her to the vet as had no money to do so and didn’t have a phone to call the RSPCA for help.

Speaking after the case Inspector Cooper said: “Going into the property and finding Cali’s body, lying all alone surrounded by piles of rubbish, was an extremely sad and upsetting sight. She was badly let down by the person who should have been caring for her and suffered over a prolonged period because no veterinary assistance or any other sort of help had been sought.”

Sentencing | 17-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months; 20 days of rehabilitation; 160 hours of unpaid work; victim surcharge of £154. Five-year ban on keeping all animals (expires April 2029).

Liverpool Echo
Planet Radio

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Worst of the Worst

Rogerstone, Newport: Alyshia Taylor

April 3, 2024 misanthropic 3 Comments

CONVICTED (2024) | Alyshia Diana Taylor, born c. 1999, of Keene Avenue, Rogerstone, Newport NP10 8DF – for the abandonment of two dogs and a puppy with only the latter surviving.

RSPCA prosecution of Alyshia Taylor from Newport, Wales.

Taylor pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

Two of the counts related to “failing to provide a suitable diet for two dogs, a bull breed type named Dior and a Chow Chow type called Storm”.

The third charge related to a Chow Chow puppy called Chase in that she was responsible for “an environment that was unsuitable in diet and in the providing of adequate clean fresh drinking water”.

The court heard how the emaciated body of Dior was found in a kennel at Taylor’s then home in Cromwell Road Newport. Post-mortem examination found she had wood particles in her stomach which she had eaten in her desperation for food.

Storm was still alive but in an emaciated state. She and the puppy, who was described as thin, were found in the faeces-strewn property.

The RSPCA was alerted on January 30, 2023, after receiving a call from police regarding two dogs they had removed from the property and taken to a vet for examination and treatment. The charity was also advised that there was a dead dog at the scene.

In a written statement provided to the court RSPCA inspector Sophie Daniels said: “I established that of the two dogs removed, both of which were black Chow Chows, the adult female was in an emaciated condition and had been deemed to be in a suffering state by the vet Her male puppy was found to be thin and as such not having his needs met.”

Arriving at Taylor’s home to collect the body of the dead dog Inspector Daniels said: “There were toys and belongings cluttering the floor and there was a strong smell of dog. I walked through to a back room with lots of clutter left around.

“On the table, amongst other items, I saw an empty box of Bakers dog food and on the floor by the sofa, was an unopened sack of dry dog food.

“The kitchen was at the back of the property and was filthy with dog faeces all over the floor. The faeces was particularly concentrated by the back patio doors. There was a plastic dog bed on the floor by the back doors, which contained a dirty blanket. There were some plastic takeaway containers on the floor with a drop of water contained.”

Outside in an enclosure furthest away from the house there were piles of dog faeces, a tipped over empty bucket and two silver dog bowls containing a small amount of brown/yellow dirty liquid. Dior’s body was found in a wooden open-fronted kennel in the back corner of the enclosure.

Inspector Daniels said: “The dog was laying on its left side on dirty bedding and there was an extremely strong smell of decay.

“The body was extremely thin with ribs visible. The eyes were sunken and there was dark/bloody liquid coming from the dog’s mouth and nose.”

As Inspector Daniels removed the body, large maggots – some over one centimetres in length – fell from the body.

Dior, who was nearly three years old, was examined by a vet, who said in a witness statement that her body was “emaciated with very little muscle mass remaining on her body.”

Commenting on the findings of the post mortem, the vet said: “The report showed that she had two bruises on her neck, wood throughout her guts and had died due to necrosis (or cell death) of multiple areas of her heart, the cause for the necrosis was not able to be determined.

“However the other changes of muscle mass loss, and severe loss of fat throughout the body indicates a severe energy imbalance or lack of food prior to her death.

“With her body at the lowest end of body condition score at one out of nine, this means that if she had had no food at all and just access to water, to get to the condition she was found in from a normal condition would have taken between two to three weeks of starvation, longer if she had access to food in that time.

“It is my professional opinion that Dior was allowed to suffer unnecessarily by her owner/carer from hunger due to lack of feeding over a prolonged period of time.”

Sentencing Taylor, magistrates said there was “a real prospect of rehabilitation” and suspended the custodial term.

Sadly, Storm later had to be put to sleep on veterinary advice after she was found to have a debilitating condition.

Chase was rehomed by the RSPCA.

Sentencing | 36-weeks custodial suspended for 18 months; 10 days of rehabilitation; £975 towards costs. 10-year disqualification order applicable to all animals.

Nation Cymru
South Wales Argus

Animal Abandonment, Cats, Worst of the Worst

Newton, Chester: Natalie Hewson

April 3, 2024 misanthropic 1 Comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Natalie Hewson, born c. 1988, of Phillip Lawson House, Norfolk Road, Newton, Chester CH2 2LD – left her severely ill elderly cat to die alone in her abandoned flat.

RSPCA prosecution of Chester woman Natalie Hewson. Image: Nat Hewson - Facebook.

Hewson was prosecuted by the RSPCA after the 13-year-old pet, called Zippy, died alone in the empty flat in Norfolk Road, Chester.

During an appearance at Chester Magistrates Court she pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to Zippy and failing to meet her needs during August and September 2023.

RSPCA prosecution of Chester woman Natalie Hewson. Image: RSPCA

The RSPCA investigated Hewson after receiving a report that a cat had died after being left unattended at Hewson’s home. Zippy’s body had been removed from the property a week earlier by someone who knew Hewson and buried at another address.

In written evidence to the court, RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes who collected Zippy’s remains, said: “I was directed to the rear of the garden and observed a tabby and white female deceased cat which had been removed from a shallow grave prior to my arrival.

“The carcass of the cat was in poor bodily condition with ribs, spine and pelvic bones palpable through the skin.”

Post-mortem examination report showed Zippy had chronic kidney disease that had progressed to renal failure and led to her death on or around September 4, 2023.

Hewson later told Inspector Joynes her cat appeared “fine” three to four days prior to this.

Zippy, who was abandoned by her cruel owner to die.

The vet who carried out the post mortem said adequate supervision of Zippy should have alerted her owner to observe excessive thirst and the need to seek prompt veterinary advice regarding cause and treatment.

“A cat affected by chronic renal disease will display outward signs of clinical abnormality including weight loss – not unusual for a senior cat – but also excessive thirst and urination,” said the vet.

“Each of these observations relies upon the regular (at least daily) and frequent supervision of the cat in order to be able to identify such abnormalities.

“The evidence indicates that Zippy had been left unsupervised for repeated periods of four days, and when she was supervised this was for very short periods of time, just enough for the responsible person to provide further food and water without a significant period of observation of the cat’s behaviour.

“In my opinion the needs of Zippy had not been met due to a lack of adequate supervision with a failure to adequately monitor her and ensure she was not showing signs of illness or disease. The failure to meet the needs her needs also led to her having unrecognised chronic renal disease which had progressed to renal failure.”

Inspector Joynes made repeated attempts during October and November 2023 to contact Hewson to interview her about Zippy but got no response.

On November 15 the inspector spoke to a man at a property at Llay in Wrexham where Hewson was said to be staying and left a message asking her to get in touch urgently.

Numerous further attempts to make contact were made until an interview was finally conducted on December 6.

In it, Hewson told the officer she had left the property in Chester because of asbestos and that the council had taken longer than anticipated to fix it. She accepted she had been to the flat about ten times in 30 days, staying for about ten minutes at a time, but admitted she should have done more.

She said she was “devastated” when Zippy died and didn’t know she was unwell.

Speaking after the case Inspector Joynes said: “Life often throws changes in circumstance at us but it’s important to ensure the needs of animals you are responsible for are always met. Zippy was let down by her owner at a time when she needed her most and with tragic consequences.”

Sentencing | 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work; £240 costs and a victim surcharge of £114. Two-year disqualification order applicable to all animals.

Chester Standard
CheshireLive

Dogs, Domestic Violence - Animals Targeted, Violent and Sadistic Pet Abusers

Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire: Sam Bodington

April 1, 2024 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2024) | Samuel Bodington, born 22 May 1990, of Aire Street, Goole DN14 5QE – strangled a chihuahua and attacked his girlfriend in a drug-fuelled rage.

Domestic abuser and animal abuser Samuel Bodington from Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire — Image credit: HullLive

Bodington’s girlfriend was looking after the female dog, known as Luna, because she had been cruelly mistreated by a previous owner. Following the vicious attack by junkie Bodington, the tiny pet was left with her tongue hanging out and became “very shaken and jumpy”.

Sentencing was originally imposed in July 2023 after Bodington admitted the intentional strangulation of his girlfriend and causing unnecessary suffering to her pet dog. He was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence but this was activated in late March 2024 after he repeatedly failed to attend appointments with the probation service.

Michael Forrest, prosecuting, told the original hearing that Bodington’s girlfriend had been looking after Luna.

Bodington arrived at her home in Goole at 7.30pm on April 21, 2023, for a party where everyone was drinking. He and his girlfriend took Pregabalin tablets obtained from a drug dealer.

“The defendant’s behaviour changed like a switch had been flipped,” said Mr Forrest.

Bodington became agitated and he was hallucinating and being loud and aggressive, causing the woman to become scared.

“She told him to leave but he didn’t leave,” said Mr Forrest.

Bodington began calling her names. She was lying on a sofa with the dog when Bodington launched himself at her and dragged them both to the floor. While they were on the floor, he took hold of her throat and the neck of the dog.

He squeezed the woman’s neck, causing her to gasp for air, and he held on to the dog’s neck, causing her tongue to hang out of her mouth.

The woman forced Bodington to release his grip. She alerted the police and Bodington was arrested.

“Luna was very shaken and jumpy,” said Mr Forrest. The woman later said that Bodington’s attack on her was unprovoked.

During the original hearing Judge John Thackray KC told Bodingonn: “Your behaviour on the evening in question was appalling. Your victim must have been terrified. The dog must have been terrified.

“This could have been so much more serious. Sometimes it only takes a few seconds from when someone is strangled to them losing consciousness.”

Sentencing | 16-month immediate custodial (previously suspended), Banned from keeping animals for just two years (expires July 2025).

HullLive

UK Animal Cruelty Files

Monthly Archives: April 2024

Walton, Liverpool: Rachel Foster and Stephen O’Donnell

CONVICTED (2024) | Rachel Foster, born 17 March 1985, and Stephen O’Donnell, born 21 December 1985, of 107 East Lancashire Road, Walton, Liverpool L11 3DN – left a young Mastiff to starve to death alone in an outside kennel.

South Shields, Tyne and Wear: Bryan Owens and Katrina Elstob

CONVICTED (2024) | Bryan Owens and previous offender Katrina Bernadette Elstob of 48 Fox Avenue, South Shields NE34 9RN – failed to address their pets’ health conditions and weight loss.

St Helens, Merseyside: Phillip Boyer

CONVICTED (2024) | Phillip Boyer, born 4 December 2004, of Waterdale Crescent, St Helens WA9 3PD – left an XL Bully to die in a rubbish and faeces-strewn flat.

Rogerstone, Newport: Alyshia Taylor

CONVICTED (2024) | Alyshia Diana Taylor, born c. 1999, of Keene Avenue, Rogerstone, Newport NP10 8DF – for the abandonment of two dogs and a puppy with only the latter surviving.

Newton, Chester: Natalie Hewson

CONVICTED (2024) | Natalie Hewson, born c. 1988, of Phillip Lawson House, Norfolk Road, Newton, Chester CH2 2LD – left her severely ill elderly cat to die alone in her abandoned flat.

Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire: Sam Bodington

CONVICTED (2024) | Samuel Bodington, born 22 May 1990, of Aire Street, Goole DN14 5QE – strangled a chihuahua and attacked his girlfriend in a drug-fuelled rage.

We collate data on animal cruelty convictions in the UK