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Animal ban for Warwickshire woman who let dog starve to death




How Minnie was found by the RSPCA inspector (47638486)
How Minnie was found by the RSPCA inspector (47638486)

A WOMAN who abandoned her dog and left it to starve to death has been banned from keeping animals for life.

Christine Mary Wilkinson, 33, of Shipston, was sentenced on 19th May at Coventry Magistrates’ Court for causing unnecessary suffering to a bulldog named Minnie, the RSPCA said.

The charge was proved in her absence at a previous hearing.

Minnie was discovered by a housing association officer who had accessed Wilkinson’s former address in Marigold Road, Stratford, in May 2019.

They found the white and tan dog’s body and contacted the RSPCA.

During the court hearing, RSPCA Inspector Thea Kerrison, who was on duty in Warwickshire when the animal welfare charity received the call, said: “Minnie was curled up in a plastic dog bed on top of a blanket. I could see that she was extremely thin as I could see her ribs and hip bones prominently. She looked like she had died, curled up in the sleeping position.”

As well as the lifetime disqualification order on all animals, which cannot be appealed for 10 years, magistrates handed Wilkinson a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

She was also ordered to do a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and told to pay £150 in costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

Ms Kerrison added: “Minnie was severely neglected prior to her death. The veterinary reports after her post-mortem examination concluded that her poor body condition score would have taken place over a period of weeks. The conditions she was found in with large amounts of faeces in her environment is further evidence of this.

“There were two levels of suffering identified by vets - the physical suffering of starvation and dehydration, and the mental suffering of anxiety and stress, not knowing if anyone was coming for her or when she would be fed.

“Minnie was dependent on her owner and she broke that trust by leaving her to suffer. Wilkinson could have asked for help or handed Minnie over to an animal charity to be rehomed but instead decided to simply abandon her to die after a period of prolonged suffering.”

If you need help with a pet, visit www.rspca.org.uk/home



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