CONVICTED (2019) | Carla Marie Freer, aka Carla Jackson, born c. 1978, of High Street, Loftus TS13 – for the shocking neglect of a Shih Tzu found severely matted and with her paws rotted away.

The RSPCA was called in March 2019 after the dog, known as Lola, was taken to a vet practice by a concerned member of the public.

RSPCA Inspector Clare Wilson said: “Lola was in a shocking condition, her fur was extremely matted and covered in urine and faeces and she was struggling to walk.

“Unfortunately when vets put her under anaesthetic to clip her fur what they found was worse than anyone could have imagined.

“Her hind feet had literally dissolved under the matting, and her back legs were just stumps with exposed bone.

“The vet decided that the only humane thing to do was to put her to sleep to prevent further suffering which took place with her owner’s consent.”

Lola’s owner, mother-of-three Carla Marie Freer pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

Veterinary evidence produced in court said that it was highly likely that the matting – which in extreme cases can restrict blood supply – had caused Lola’s feet to be destroyed.

The expert vet said that in 30 years’ experience, and dealing with many cases of matting including where limbs had been lost, it was “without doubt…the worst case of a matted animal I have seen”.

In mitigation the court was told that Freer’s personal circumstances had dramatically changed resulting in her not having so much time for Lola. It wasn’t deliberate cruelty, and she didn’t know the extent of the injuries or she would have acted.

Sentencing | four-month prison sentence suspended for two years; two-year community order comprising 150 hours of unpaid work, 10 days of rehabilitation requirement days, and an eight-week curfew. Freer was ordered to pay a total of £515 costs and charges. She was disqualified from keeping all animals for life.

Gazette & Herald