OFFENDERS FOUND GUILTY OF STARVING A DOG TO DEATH IN STANFORD-LE-HOPE
Haines and Thompson, who have five children, were found guilty of cruelty to the female German Shepherd type dog they called ‘White Dog’.The court heard Thompson had taken the dog to a vet in a collapsed state.
She said that they had owned the dog for two weeks and, while initially bright, the animal had stopped eating “over the past two days”.
Thompson claimed she had tried unsuccessfully to hand-feed the dog.
Sadly nothing could be done to save White Dog due to her poor state of health and she was put to sleep.
Post-mortem examination confirmed that she weighed just 9.75kg and was in a state of emaciation and dehydration at the time of death.
There was marked prominence of the shoulder blades, spine, ribs and hip bones with a lack of fat tissue and diffuse muscle wastage with the cause of death most likely exogenous starvation.
The couple told the RSPCA that upon acquiring ‘White Dog’ around November 25, 2023, she was underweight but was eating, drinking, exercising and putting on weight.
The couple said she only lost weight after a period of not eating for 12-24 hours in December 2023, leaving her collapsed and in an emaciated bodily condition on December 20, 2023.
This is when she was taken to a vet.
An expert vet concluded that she had suffered for at least a week due to her owners’ failure to seek prompt veterinary advice.
The vet said she would have suffered mechanisms of weakness, fatigue, general malaise and exercise intolerance during that period.
Speaking after the case Inspector Jen Wildman said: “White Dog’s condition should never have been allowed to deteriorate to this extent.
Seeking help at an earlier stage would have prevented significant suffering.
“Animals are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy.
Owning an animal is a privilege – and ensuring an appropriate diet and seeking veterinary care when needed is a key part of the responsibility we have towards them.”
