A woman who failed to seek treatment for her dog who was suffering from serious facial and rib injuries as well as other health issues has been jailed for 12 weeks and banned for 10 years from keeping animals.
Rebecca Dowbenko from Bradford, was told by magistrates that she had shown “no remorse for the prolonged period of suffering” she caused Lily, a nine-year-old, black Newfoundland mountain dog.
Dowbenko appeared at Bradford Magistrate’s Court for sentencing on May 4 after previously pleading guilty to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering by failing to provide proper and necessary veterinary care for the dog under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The court heard that when the RSPCA visited Dowbenko’s home in Fairfax Road on January 4 last year (2022) Lily was in a very poor state of health and it appeared she had been deteriorating for several months.
Her face was swollen and septic with infected sores and pus as a result of either suffering blunt force trauma to the head or the growth of a tumour. The canine’s skin tissue was rotting away and RSPCA inspector Demi Hodby, who attended at the property, said there was a “horrific” smell of infection. Lily was covered in paint the defendant said had rubbed off from a wet wall.
The dog was in terrible pain and she was taken to the RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital for treatment, but the prognosis for her was so poor that sadly she had to be put to sleep to end her suffering.
Dowbenko, the court was told, failed to follow up appointments with the PDSA charity.
In a statement to the court inspector Demi Hodby said: “Lily had a very large, swollen face and mouth. Her face was oozing with pus and infection. She was lethargic and when she walked it appeared like she was having to think and calculate in her head each of her steps.
“She was in poor body condition and due to the infection Lily smelt horrifically. She spent most of her time during the visit lying on the floor subdued and lethargic. I asked [Dowbenko] if the dog was under veterinary treatment and she said she had not been to the vets but was going to call them that day.”
A vet concluded there was a “significant probability” that Lily’s injuries were not accidental, although the facial damage may also have been caused by a cancerous tumour.
A post-mortem showed she was suffering from osteomyelitis, with evidence of dead bone on the left side of the face, as well as chest trauma. She was also suffering from a rare form of dermatitis.
“It is my opinion that Lily was allowed to suffer due to her owner failing to present her for timely veterinary assessment and treatment of multiple, serious health conditions despite acknowledging the dog was in pain for prolonged periods,” said the vet, who noted that the defendant failed to follow up a call to a PDSA clinic highlighting a burst abscess on the side of the dog’s face in November 2021.
It was said Dowbenko “persistently failed to follow vet advice from 2017 to 2021”.
In mitigation, the court was told she was suffering from poor mental health.
She was sentenced to a further two weeks imprisonment to run concurrently to her 12-week sentence after admitting failing to attend court on March 2.
No costs were imposed but she was told to pay a victim surcharge of £154 with magistrates telling her: “You have shown absolutely no remorse for the prolonged period of suffering which you have caused this animal. That suffering was caused by your total neglect of Lily.”
