CONVICTED (2021) | Christine Mary Wilkinson, born 14 January 1988, of 2 Caudlewell Drive, Shipston CV36 4NT – abandoned her dog, leaving her to starve to death
Wilkinson, who has a young daughter, was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a bulldog named Minnie. The charge was proved in Wilkinson’s absence at a previous hearing.
Minnie was discovered by a housing association officer who had accessed Wilkinson’s former address in Marigold Road, Stratford, in May 2019.
They found the white and tan dog’s body and contacted the RSPCA.
During the court hearing, RSPCA Inspector Thea Kerrison said: “Minnie was curled up in a plastic dog bed on top of a blanket. I could see that she was extremely thin as I could see her ribs and hip bones prominently. She looked like she had died, curled up in the sleeping position.”
Ms Kerrison added: “Minnie was severely neglected prior to her death.
The veterinary reports after her post-mortem examination concluded that her poor body condition score would have taken place over a period of weeks. The conditions she was found in with large amounts of faeces in her environment is further evidence of this.
“There were two levels of suffering identified by vets – the physical suffering of starvation and dehydration, and the mental suffering of anxiety and stress, not knowing if anyone was coming for her or when she would be fed.
“Minnie was dependent on her owner and she broke that trust by leaving her to suffer. Wilkinson could have asked for help or handed Minnie over to an animal charity to be rehomed but instead decided to simply abandon her to die after a period of prolonged suffering.”
Sentencing: 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months; 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days; a total of £278 in costs and charges. Lifetime disqualification order on all animals, but can appeal after 10 years.