RSPCA PROSECUTES PAIR WHO LEFT STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER SUFFERING FROM LOCK JAW WASTE AWAY IN HULL PROPERTY

A mother and daughter who left their young sick Staffordshire bull terrier to waste away in a property in Hull have received a life ban from keeping dogs after a prosecution by the RSPCA.

Helen Drew, of 16th Avenue in Hull, and Amber May Hume, from Southampton, both pleaded guilty to one animal welfare offence of failing to investigate the cause of the poor body condition and weight loss of the dog called Patch.

They appeared for sentencing at Hull Magistrates’ Court on 13th September when they were both handed 26-week prison sentences which were suspended for 12 months.

Patch was found in a very emaciated condition at Drew’s home by RSPCA Inspector Natalie Hill on 2nd October 2 after the animal charity’s cruelty line received a report of an underweight dog . 

The canine was suffering from an autoimmune disease which caused his jaw to lock preventing him from eating.

The animal was taken to the vets by the inspector, but despite treatment his prognosis was poor and it was decided that the kindest thing to do was to put him to sleep to end his suffering.

The inspector said in a statement presented to the court that she couldn’t tell what breed the dog was because of his skeletal appearance.

“Every bone on his body was showing, his head was concave to the top and the blue collar that he had on was hanging very loose around his neck,” said the inspector.

The inspector was informed that Patch had been seen by a PDSA vet a month before, but after he developed an issue opening his mouth the defendants did not take him back to the vets because of a ‘lack of finances’. 

A vet, who examined the canine, said he was extremely underweight and dehydrated. His jaw was locked shut and during the examination, when the vet tried offering a treat to the dog, he was unable to open his mouth to take it.

When the RSPCA investigated Patch’s care they found that in July of last year the PDSA passed on diet advice to someone calling about the dog who was losing weight.

The charity asked them to get back in touch after they had tried a change of diet, but there was no further contact.

Patch weighed only 11.6 kilograms when he was admitted at the vets and his body condition score was two out of nine.

In a vet’s expert opinion, the dog was suffering from a disease called Masticatory Muscle Myositis and was malnourished.

As part of their suspended sentences, the magistrates, who were visibly upset when passing sentence, ordered the defendants to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and told them: ‘You both caused unimaginable and prolonged suffering to Patch’.

The court was told that mitigating circumstances for Hume was that she was confused as to who should take responsibility for the dog as she was looking to move out of the Hull area at the time.

She was also on medication after suffering trauma, it was said.

Both defendants were each told to pay court costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £187.

After the sentencing, Inspector Hill said: “This was one of the most upsetting cases I’ve dealt with. Patch was only a young dog and if the defendant’s had taken action to determine why he was losing weight he would have made a recovery.

“He was a lovely dog who was still wagging his tail when he was in a horrendous condition and starving.”