A pet owner who left her dog to starve to death in her home has been banned from keeping animals for life.
Katie Louise Oldridge, from Hull, was sentenced with two animal welfare offences at Hull Magistrates’ Court on August 25.
The court heard how Staffordshire bull terrier Frank was found lying dead in a kitchen next to an empty tin of dog food after being abandoned between April 10 and May 14 last year.
Oldridge, 35, had left a bowl of water but no food was found within his reach and the floor was covered in a large amount of dried out faeces.
RSPCA Inspector Jilly Dickinson, who led the investigation for the animal welfare charity, said: ‘The kitchen door had a baby gate in the frame.
‘I found a dog food tin on the kitchen worktop which contained mouldy remains of food in the bottom of it and an empty box of dog treats which appeared to contain faeces.
‘There was an overwhelming smell of faeces and decomposing flesh in the property.’
As she placed Frank’s body into an RSPCA evidence bag, a large quantity of live maggots of various sizes dropped from his head. Frank was incredibly thin, and she could see all of his bones.
A vet report concluded Frank likely suffered for a number of weeks before his eventual death.
The investigation found that the level of emaciation coupled with the ingestion of foreign materials suggested he felt hunger and ate anything he could to try and offset that feeling.
The lack of fat and muscle tissue also suggested that his body had used up its internal energy resources rather than having adequate nutrition provided.
The court found that Frank’s basic needs were not met and he had suffered as a result.
The court heard mitigation put forward that Oldridge was dealing with personal issues before the offence and became dependent on alcohol.
In addition to the lifetime disqualification from keeping all animals, which she cannot contest for 10 years, Oldridge was sentenced to 18 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for two years.
She was ordered to carry out 12 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and 200 hours’ of unpaid work in the community.
She was also ordered to pay £300 costs and a victim surcharge of £128.
In sentencing the Oldridge, magistrates commented: ‘We consider this to be a deliberate act of neglect – one of the worst, if not the worst, we have had the misfortune to hear as a bench of magistrates.
‘We are satisfied that this case justifies a sentence of imprisonment but for your guilty plea and lack of previous convictions in combination with your personal circumstances we are persuaded to suspend the sentence.’
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