Woman banned for life after neglecting Staffordshire dogs in Tilbury

WOMAN BANNED FOR LIFE AFTER NEGLECTING STAFFORDSHIRE DOGS IN TILBURY

A woman named Donna Hughes, aged 42, has been banned for life from keeping animals after neglecting her two Staffordshire dogs.

The RSPCA found the pets in December in poor conditions—without food, water, or adequate shelter—in her home in Hobart Road, Tilbury.

The court heard that the garden was in 'total disarray and dirt', and the dogs were described as significantly underweight with evidence of suffering caused by neglect.

Hughes was in tears when she realized her dogs, a Staffordshire terrier named Becky and a Staffordshire cross boxer terrier named Tia, would be seized by RSPCA officers after she left them outside in the cold with only a woodchip board as shelter.

The dogs were found to have been neglected for about five days, and they ate ferociously when fed because they were so hungry.

Both dogs were examined by a veterinarian, who confirmed they were underweight.

Hughes admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to the pets and also failed to answer bail.

In addition to the ban, she was ordered to pay £1,621.45 in costs and to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

She pleaded with the court not to take her children’s dogs away, saying, 'Please don’t take my children’s dogs away.

I have had Tia for ten years, she’s going blind, it’s not my dog it’s my boys’.' Her dogs, which belonged to her teenage children, were seized last week, and Hughes expressed regret and claimed she had only neglected the animals for five days.