CONVICTED (2024) | Claire Kirton, born 21 April 1977, of Coleridge Way, Crewe CW1 5LE – starved a French bulldog to skin and bone.
Kirton had agreed to take the female dog called Peanut from her daughter who moved in with her partner’s family.
Five weeks later the dog was found to be severely emaciated, covered in a large amount of fleas, had dental disease, lesions in her ears and overgrown nails.
She was given a body condition score of one out of nine with her hip, spine and ribs, clearly visible. She was reported to be eating ‘ravenously’ when admitted to hospital.
Peanut has since made a good recovery and is now with a different family.
Kirton, previously of Winsford, told RSPCA officers the dog was skinnier when she first got her and said she was “too ashamed’ to seek treatment at the vets.
She also claimed she had at the time been recovering from injuries caused in an accident, which ad affected her mobility.
The court heard Peanut was rescued following a visit by an RSPCA inspector on August 18, 2023, who found her to be “extremely underweight”.
Prosecutor Mark Harper said Peanut had also suffered muscle loss which he said was attributed to lack of nutrition and exercise. She also had dental disease and overgrown nails. She had difficulty walking and was infested with fleas. She also had lesions in both ears.
A vet estimated that she had suffered for two to three months.
Kirton said she fed the dog twice a day and had given her flea and worm treatment. .She said the dog was putting on weight. However, it was evident that Peanut had been neglected for a prolonged period during which she endured a substantial level of suffering.
Mr Harper concluded: “Clearly any responsible dog owner would know the dog needed substantial veterinary treatment and adequate nutrition. “
In mitigation the court heard that Kirton had been “placed under some emotional pressure to take ownership of the dog” from her daughter.
The court was told that Kirton had never owned a dog and “had no education around the needs of an animal, needs of a dog”.
The court also heard that Kirton had “mental health issues” following the deaths of both parents in quick succession, combined with “a lack of mobility and lack of finance”.
After the case RSPCA Inspector Jenny Bethel said: “This owner didn’t do anything to help this poor dog. Despite claiming to have fed her every day, it appears she didn’t have the time or inclination to do so properly. As a result, Peanut lost a vast amount of weight and she was incredibly skinny when we found her.
“She was very unstable on her back end and I observed her stumble and collapse several times while at the vets. She is a different dog now and the RSPCA foster carer who took her in has now provided her with a new home where she will be loved and cared for.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work. £400 costs and £114 surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for five years (expires March 2029).
She needs the same treatment as that poor furbaby ill treating an animal should be the same as child abuse but no they get a slap on the wrist which is wrong glad there was a happy ending for this baby
Stupid ,cruel woman. The ridiculous pictures of herself on Facebook should show the emaciated little wreck of a tiny dog. Totally dependent on her. Horrible person.