SHARON HAYES FROM FRODSHAM CONVICTED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY IN CHESHIRE

Sharon Hayes, also known as Sharon Micklewright, born on 16 September 1966 and residing on Coronation Drive in Frodsham, WA6 7HS, was convicted in 2020 of causing unnecessary suffering to her pet dog.

Hayes, a grandmother, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after her Staffordshire bull terrier, Lily, was found to have been emaciated and buried in her garden.

The RSPCA launched an investigation following a report from a concerned member of the public about Lily’s welfare. Inspector Leanne Cragg attended Hayes’ property on September 17, 2019. When Hayes answered the door, she was asked to see her dog, but she responded, ‘she’s dead.’ She explained that Lily had died a few days earlier, on September 12, and that she had buried her in the garden.

Hayes admitted that Lily was underweight and that she had vomited blood and suffered from diarrhoea the night before her death, but she failed to seek veterinary help for her pet. Suspecting neglect, the RSPCA applied for permission to exhume Lily’s body. Hayes led officials to her garden, where Lily was buried wrapped in a patterned curtain.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Lily was emaciated and suffered from chronic kidney failure, which caused her death. Inspector Cragg commented, “It is terrible to think of the suffering Lily must have endured leading up to her death. The emaciation led to sickness and diarrhoea but the owner still did not seek veterinary treatment.

“There is never an excuse not to feed a pet or seek veterinary treatment – if people are in need of help, there are plenty of animal charities that can assist.”

In sentencing, Hayes was ordered to pay a total of £1,332. She was also banned from keeping animals for ten years, with the possibility of appeal after five years.

Source: CheshireLive