CONVICTED (2023) | Sarah Murgatroyd, born 21 January 1978, of Broom Road, Worsley Hall, Wigan WN5 9QH – left a rabbit to suffer for weeks with a brain infection and neglected her dog.
Murgatroyd pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty in relation to a Netherland dwarf rabbit called Noah and and a shar pei cross dog known as Teddy.
The court was told that Murgatroyd had failed to realise how ill the rabbit was until a neighbour pointed it out to her.
By the time Murgatroyd handed Noah over to RSPCA inspector Deborah Beats on April 27, 2022, the pet had collapsed and was gravely ill with a brain infection.
A vet who examined Noah said he was underweight, with a body condition score of one out of five. He was so cold that his body temperature couldn’t be measured with a thermometer. He was so unwell that a vet decided the kindest thing to do was to put him to sleep.
A post-mortem showed evidence of encephalitozoon cuniculi infection, a common parasite affecting the kidneys and brains of rabbits.
The vet said: “Noah was suffering for a period of at least two weeks, but more likely longer. He had a significant amount of weight loss and was visibly underweight. He had a disease that is common in rabbits that was left untreated. A responsible owner would have sought veterinary care when first noticing the clinical signs.”
Murgatroyd also presented Teddy to the inspector and said she wasn’t able to look after him. He had a moderate flea infestation and alopecia, which he was treated for after he was signed over into the care of the RSPCA.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity days and 80 hours of unpaid work; £300 court costs and victim surcharge of £114. Five-year ban applicable to all animals (expires July 2028).
Asshole