AYR WOMAN SENTENCED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY AFTER STARVATION AND ABANDONMENT
The Scottish SPCA (SSPCA) attended Kayleigh McDonald’s then residence in Church Court, Ayr, after receiving information that cats had been left unattended at the address for several days.After several unsuccessful attempts to communicate with McDonald, the animal charity obtained a search warrant to enter the property.
An SSPCA investigator said: “Upon entering the property, the lifeless body of a grey/black and white domestic shorthair cat was lying on the floor amongst rubbish, faeces and letters.
“The deceased cat was in poor body condition, severely emaciated and all its bones could easily be felt.
“When searching the property for the remaining cats, the environment was very unsanitary.
“Cat faeces could be seen in the covering areas in the home alongside general household waste, clothes and children’s toys.
“There was no access to food or fresh water in the residence, the only water available was in the toilet bowl.
“An old, rock hard and stale baguette was found partially eaten and bags of rubbish including used nappies had been torn open in a clear attempt to find food.
The litter tray in the hallway was saturated and full of faeces.” One cat was found alive but in poor health in the residence and was immediately transported to an SSPCA animal rescue and rehoming centre for urgent treatment.
The deceased cat was taken for a post-mortem examination.
This concluded that there was no underlying cause for the cat’s severely emaciated condition and muscle loss; he or she had been starved to death.
Single mother McDonald pleaded guilty to two animal cruelty charges: - Causing a cat unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate nutrition and failing to seek veterinary advice or treatment for severe emaciation and muscle loss.
- Abandoning two cats in circumstances which were likely to cause unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate, accessible hydration and nutrition.
The surviving cat recovered well in the care of the Scottish SPCA and went on to find his/her forever home.
**Sentencing | community payback order with 12 months of social work supervision.**
