A woman from Oldham has been banned from keeping animals for nine months after she failed to seek veterinary treatment for a large wound to her cat’s stomach.
Adele Milne was prosecuted by the RSPCA after her cat, Millie, suffered for a prolonged period with an ulcerated mass to her stomach. A later medical examination found the wound was caused by a malignant tumour and the feline’s health was so poor that a vet decided the kindest thing to do was to put her to sleep to end her suffering.
Milne of Manchester Road, Oldham, pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act and appeared before Tameside Magistrates’ Court on November 6 for sentencing.
As well as the disqualification, magistrates placed Milne under a nine-month community order during which time she has to complete 10 rehabilitation activity (RAR) days. She was also fined £120.
RSPCA animal rescue officer Jessica Pierce went to Milne’s home on June 5 this year to check up on the black and white cat after receiving a report she had been injured.
In a statement presented to the court, the animal rescue officer said the wound the pet was suffering from was “one of the worst wounds” she’d seen on a cat.
“The defendant said the wound had been there for a couple of months and started as a small lump which the cat had licked. She stated that she had tried ringing vets and an animal charity who had attended, but couldn’t catch the cat,” said the RSPCA officer.
The defendant agreed that the animal rescue officer could take the cat to the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, where a vet’s examination found Millie was suffering from a malignant mammary tumour, as well as significant dental disease.
The vet said the tumour would have caused the feline significant suffering for “at least a week and possibly significantly longer”.
In his expert report, he stated: “The extent of ulceration, infection and areas of dying tissue were likely to be associated with significant pain. Early veterinary intervention could have been successful in treating the tumour.
“But such tumours often carry a poor prognosis, so euthanasia is often the best option before the lesion gets to a stage such as this to cause unnecessary suffering. In my opinion, allowing the ulceration to get to this extent, would have led to significant suffering for the cat.”
In mitigation, the court was told that the defendant had said she “bought different things from the shop to treat the cat’s wound at home”.
Milne also has to pay £400 costs and a victim surcharge of £114.
