ANIMAL ABUSER STARVES POMERANIAN TO DEATH IN SUTTON
Radford pleaded guilty to an Animal Welfare Act offence following the prosecution brought by the RSPCA.On 2 February 2025, RSPCA officers were called to investigate by a Sutton vet amid concerns about the dog, Munchkin, who had been brought to the clinic earlier that day.
The four-year-old dog was collapsed and severely underweight, with prominent ribs, hips and spine visible, as well as significant fur loss around her rear end.
The vet who examined Munchkin reported that Radford told her “she had no concerns about Munchkin’s eating or drinking habits but always thought she was naturally thin”.
Munchkin weighed just 800g – around the weight of a loaf of bread.
A healthy adult Pomeranian should weigh between 1.36 to 3.18kg.
In a statement to the court, RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Louis Horton said: “Munchkin was very underweight.
Her hips and ribs were very prominent – I could feel every rib bone – and she was extremely nervous.
“The vet told me that Munchkin was so lifeless on arrival, she initially thought she was dead.” Munchkin was seized and taken into RSPCA care at the animal welfare charity’s Finsbury Park Animal Hospital.
With a proper diet and veterinary treatment, she gained 60% of her body weight within a month.
Sadly, she never made a full recovery and due to a collapsing trachea, was sadly euthanised on humane grounds.
In mitigation, the court heard that Radford had recently suffered the loss of her mother and was caring full-time for her youngest child with complex needs.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 days of ‘rehab’; £80 fine and £234 in costs.
10-year ban on keeping dogs (expires November 2035).
The article references a London Post coverage.
