CONVICTED (2018) | Emma Miles (aka Emma Forber), born 11 August 1989, of Lawrence Grove, Dursley GL11 4EY – left dog alone to starve to death
Mother-of-two Emma Miles left Staffordshire bull terrier Yolo locked in the kitchen of her flat when she moved out, leaving him to starve to death. Only fur and faeces were found in his stomach and his internal organs had decomposed.
Following her formal eviction from Oak Drive, Dursley, council workers clearing the property discovered that the kitchen floor was covered in faeces and a brown sludge, and subsequently discovered the emaciated corpse of a dog wrapped in a plastic bin bag, which had been placed in a cupboard.
When Stroud District Council’s animal welfare officers were called in to investigate the case Miles claimed that she had given Yolo to a former boyfriend.
However rigorous investigations by SDC animal welfare officer Alex Myrie demonstrated that was not the case, and that Miles had left Yolo alone in the flat without food, water or human company over a period of weeks, which resulted in him starving to death.
A wound was discovered that was consistent with a pressure sore arising from an inability to move prior to his death. The brown sludge found on the kitchen floor was consistent with the advanced decomposition of internal organs.
A vet appointed by the council reported that Yolo ‘suffered a great deal in the slow, cruel and unnecessary process of starvation.’
Miles was found guilty of causing Yolo unnecessary suffering which resulted in his death.
Mrs Myrie, who led the investigation, said: “In my 16 years in this role, this is the worst case of animal cruelty I have had to deal with.
“The last days and weeks of Yolo’s life must have been the stuff of nightmares. Staffies thrive on human company and the thought of Yolo spending his last week’s not only starving and thirsty but also lonely, breaks my heart.
“It seems a cruel irony that Yolo’s name stands for ‘You Only Live Once’ when his life ended so cruelly and needlessly.
“There are no winners in cases of this nature but we are very grateful to the courts for bringing Miss Miles to account for her actions, in particular banning her from having any responsibility for any animal for the next 10 years.”
Sentencing:
18 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work in the community within 12 months. Total of £1,115 costs and charges. Disqualified from owning or having responsibility for any animal for 10 years (expires February 2028).