September 2021

Woman served animal ban after letting dog starve to death – ‘Severely neglected’

A woman has been served a ban on owning an animal after starving her dog to death.

Christine Mary Wilkinson, 33 from Shipston, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, was sentenced on May 19th for causing unnecessary suffering to a bulldog named Minnie.

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

The officer then found the dog’s body and contacted the RSPCA.

Ms Wilkinson was issued a lifetime disqualification order on all animals by the court after starving her dog to death.

A RSPCA inspector described the dogs condition during the court hearing.

She 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.”

Then added Minnie “was severely neglected prior to her death” in 2019.

“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 was sentenced to a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, as well as 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a total of £278 in costs and charges.

While the 33-year-old was issued a lifetime disqualification order on owning animals, she can appeal after 10 years.