A puppy was left so severely emaciated that her face had lost muscle and her bones protruded — before vets put her to sleep to end her terrible and painful suffering.

Kaitlyn Docherty, of Chathill Walk, Ormesby, admitted two animal welfare offences at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on October 6, following an RSPCA investigation.

Her dog, Cocopop, a five-month-old female brindle crossbreed, was taken to a vet in April 2026. She was described as “floppy and lifeless”.

The examination revealed severe emaciation, muscle loss around her face and a visibly prominent skeleton and pelvis.

The vet concluded that starvation caused her condition. There was no evidence of an underlying disease to explain it.

Her deterioration would have been noticeable for weeks, yet no veterinary treatment had been sought.

Foreign material was also discovered in Cocopop’s gut. The veterinary report suggested she may have been searching for alternative sources of food — further evidence of her suffering.

Postmortem findings also indicated self-injury and trauma from repeated contact with a hard surface, such as barriers or crate bars.

Earlier veterinary records showed Cocopop had initially grown and gained weight normally. But there was no recorded veterinary care between her second vaccination in February and her examination in April.

By then, she was euthanised on welfare grounds.

The vet said earlier intervention could have offered a more positive outcome, with treatment beginning before her weight loss progressed to emaciation.

RSPCA Inspector Clare Wilson described it as heartbreaking to imagine what Cocopop endured during her short life.

Docherty was banned from keeping dogs for eight years, with the court stipulating that she cannot challenge the ban for five years.

She also received an 18-month community order, including a mental health treatment requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work.

She must pay £1,578 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge.