HANNAH WILLIAMS FROM MIDDLESBROUGH SENTENCED FOR CRUELTY TO DOGS

Hannah Williams, a 33-year-old woman from Middlesbrough, has been convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to her pet dog, Reba, a French bulldog. The case drew significant attention after authorities uncovered the tragic conditions in which Reba was kept.

Williams, who previously used the surname Willington, was found guilty of deliberately neglecting her dog to the point of starvation, leading to her death. The investigation was initiated after the RSPCA received a distressing image of another dog owned by Williams, a Malinois-type named Zena, who appeared extremely thin. This prompted inspectors to visit her residence in Middlesbrough on August 9 of the previous year.

During the inspection, Deputy Chief Inspector Emma Stainthorpe discovered Reba in a deplorable state. The dog was severely emaciated, with her bones clearly visible through her skin. Fly eggs were found near her muzzle, and there was faecal matter surrounding her rear. Reba was found lying next to a large pile of feces, with no food or water in sight, indicating neglect and poor living conditions. At the time of the inspection, Zena was not present at the property.

Reba's body was subsequently taken for a post-mortem examination, which confirmed that she had been suffering from extreme malnutrition. The veterinarian testified that Reba had endured unnecessary suffering for at least a month, primarily due to neglect. Despite Williams' claims that both dogs had diarrhoea and sometimes ate or suffered from sickness, the evidence clearly demonstrated that she had failed to meet their basic needs, ultimately leading to Reba's death.

Williams admitted that her dogs had diarrhoea but insisted they occasionally ate and suffered from illness. However, she refused to accept responsibility for the neglect that resulted in Reba's death. She also stated that neither of the dogs had been taken to a veterinarian recently.

On June 12, at Teesside Magistrates Court, Williams was sentenced to a 24-week custodial sentence, which was suspended for two years. She was also disqualified from owning animals for life, ordered to pay costs amounting to £954, and a victim surcharge of £187. The court emphasized that she would not be able to contest the disqualification for 20 years. Despite community efforts to locate Zena, the Malinois-type dog has not been found to date, raising concerns about her current condition and whereabouts.