CONVICTED (2024) | Rebecca McPhee, aka Rebecca Clark, born 17 October 1994, of Lomond Gardens, Elderslie, Johnstone PA5 9LE – callously starved her previously healthy pet dog to skin and bone.

Three-year-old German Shepherd, Namirah, weighed just 15kg against a normal weight for a dog of her size and breed of 25kg, when rescued from heartless single mother of one McPhee, who seems to have opted to abandon her.

The dog, whom McPhee had owned since she was a puppy and had even set up a TikTok channel for her, was in considerable pain following months of deliberate starvation and neglect..

Her fur was coated with urine stains and the area around her bottom matted with faeces. She had been suffering diarrhoea and there was urine scalding on her back legs.

She was desperately thin with no body fat and a severe lack of muscle. An animal welfare officer from the Scottish SPCA (SSPCA) could feel every one of her ribs and vertebraes through her thick fur and could even close their hand around the dog’s hip joints.

McPhee, who has links to Lisburn, Northern Ireland, first came to the SSPCA’s attention after the charity received a complaint to their helpline.

SSPCA officer Bell visited McPhee’s home and was shown Namirah. The court heard the dog was lying down and was so weak it took several attempts for her to stand.

McPhee told the officer that Namirah was a fussy eater who refused to eat the food given to her. She conceded she hadn’t sought veterinary treatment to address her pet’s deteriorating body condition.

The dog was seized and taken to a vet for examination. The vet deemed Namirah had been caused “unnecessary suffering for failure to seek veterinary advice for severely underweight body condition”.

The vet’s report outlined any reasonable person would identify the dog was far too thin and adjust their diet or seek advice. They were also of the opinion that McPhee had failed to look after Namirah’s hygiene and allowed her to soil herself.

Namimrah was subsequently taken to the SSPCA’s centre in Glasgow for treatment. Here, she began eating and taking treats from staff and, by October 13, she weighed 22.4kg.

Sadly, Namirah had to be put to sleep on humane grounds on October 16 after an X-ray confirmed she had “severe hip fluxation”.

Defence agent Holly Laird stated McPhee “accepts full responsibility”.

She added: “Ms McPhee was quite emotional with the social worker who prepared this report. This has affected her deeply.”

Sheriff Lindsay Kooner said the “extremely distressing” offence had met the custody threshold but took a step back from caging McPhee stating “alternatives were available”.

Sentencing | 180 hours of community service; 12-month supervision order. Banned from owning or keeping animals for five years (expires July 2029).

Daily Record