Couple who starved dog banned from keeping pets

A Cannock couple who starved their pet dog to the point of death have been banned from keeping animals for 10 years and ordered to pay more than £2,000 costs.

Matthew Guy pretended to have found the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in a field when he contacted council dog wardens to take her away.

But his deception was discovered after the previous owners were contacted through information found on a microchip in the dog.

The bitch, called Jade, was so weak she couldn't eat or drink and had to be put down.

Three separate veterinary surgeons had rated her condition as zero on a scale of nought to five, highlighting excessive loose skin and her skeletal state, with clearly visible pelvic and hip bones.

When the animal was first picked up, she was severely dehydrated and drank a bowl and a half of water, said Roger Price, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA.

She was put on a drip for 36 hours but remained in a critical condition, hardly able to stand, passing blood and eventually unable to feed. Doctors concluded she could not be saved.

Guy's attempt to pass the dog off as a stray was maintained throughout dealings with South Staffordshire Council's dog wardens.

Experts estimated the animal had been starved for at least two weeks and probably longer.

Unemployed labourer Guy, aged 20, and Claire Cahill, 22, of Oak Avenue, Huntington bought the dog off the Internet.

Jacqueline Coley-Fisher, defending the pair, said they panicked when they realised how thin she had become but instead of dumping her, they wanted her to be taken in by people who could look after her.

Guy pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and of being in breach of a conditional discharge for criminal damage. They both admitted failing to ensure the animal's welfare.

In addition to the ban, they were each told to pay £1,018 and given a 12-month supervision order. Guy was also ordered to carry out 150 hours' unpaid work.

The bench at Cannock Magistrates Court ruled that the £306 vets' fees be paid from central funds.