Birmingham woman given ban after starving dog and keeping it in 'squalid' conditions
A Birmingham woman who abandoned her dog without food or water has been banned from keeping animals for ten years.
Louise Crystal Downton . aged 25, of Pennycroft House, Rattle Croft, Birmingham, pleaded guilty at court to failing to meet the needs of her dog. Princess, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
RSPCA Inspector Boris Lasserre was called to her address after police requested RSPCA assistance regarding a starving dog they had found inside the dirty property.
Within the flat were numerous hazardous items on the floor, including broken glass, splintered hard plastics, ripped plastic and cloth.
There was no bedding or area to provide the dog with a comfortable resting place, and open windows without any safety restrictors which risked Princess falling from a height.
Inspector Lasserre described what he saw when he first arrived at the property to rescue Princess.
He said: “The stench of faeces and urine coming from inside the property was evident through the bottom panel in the front door, which had been removed.
“The flat was squalid. Princess was confined to the living room. She was visibly underweight. Her abdomen was tucked in and her temples were sunken. There was very little fat around her body and her skeletal structure was easily palpable through the skin, particularly her hips, ribs and spine.
“The floor of the living room was stained and damp with urine. There were stains of smeared and trodden faeces as well as numerous faecal deposits.
“There was no food or water available. Two steel bowls were on the floor, one upturned in the living room, the other empty on the balcony. A third empty bowl was on the cabinet by the open window. Empty dog food containers had been crewed and ripped open.
“The back of the door had numerous scratch marks where she had pawed at the doors. The area of the floor around the living room door was caked in a layer of faeces.”
Princess was rushed to RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital where the charity’s veterinary team examined her before she ate hungrily.
When Princess was presented for examination on 15 August 2024, her weight was recorded as 12Kg.
Whilst in the care of the RSPCA, she made a full recovery ready for rehoming. Her weight increased by 32 per-cent in the first 30 days.
At her appearance at Birmingham Magistrates Court on August 4, Downton admitted failing to take such steps as were reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure the needs of an animal for which she was responsible. They included a suitable environment to be maintained in; an appropriate body condition and a suitable diet including continuous access to fresh drinking water
Alongside the animal disqualification, which she can not appeal for five years, Downton was ordered to pay £400 costs when she appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court on August 4.
In mitigation she said she was struggling to look after herself at the time but has since turned her life around and is remorseful.
