A woman from County Durham who failed to get appropriate care for her matted Shih Tzus has been banned from keeping dogs for ten years.
Ashleigh Kelly of Glencoe Avenue in Chester-le-Street, repeatedly ignored warnings and advice from the RSPCA about the condition of the elderly dogs, one of whom was emaciated and given a body condition score of only one out of nine.
The dogs were removed from the property by the police just before Christmas last year after Kelly had said she would take them to a vet but failed to do so.
At a sentencing hearing at Peterlee Magistrates Court on Tuesday 3 September, Kelly was disqualified from keeping animals for ten years and given a 36 month conditional discharge after pleading guilty to one charge of failing to meet the dogs’ needs.
Alfie and Lucy, who the RSPCA was told were both 16-years-old and used to belong to another family member, had matted coats and overgrown claws. The female dog was unsteady on her feet and unable to walk very far, while the male dog’s movement was hampered because of his severely knotted coat.
The court was told that RSPCA Inspector Rowena Proctor had visited the house on 11 December 2023 following previous visits by her colleagues who had issued Kelly with warnings to seek veterinary care and get the dogs groomed.
In her written statement Inspector Proctor said: “Ashleigh brought the dogs into the living room from the kitchen to show me. She stated that she had cut their fur herself but still needed to do their paws. My immediate concern was regarding the dog’s weights.
“Alfie was thin with matted ears and feet but Lucy’s condition was terrible. She was extremely thin to the point she didn’t appear to have any visible fat anywhere, her spine protruded through her fur and her pelvis bones were sticking out. She appeared weak on her legs and wouldn’t walk far before wobbling and sitting down.”
“I wanted to give Ashleigh another chance, given that she explained the dogs were sentimental to her. At the same time, I could not walk away without ensuring that Lucy would see a vet as soon as possible.
“I offered to take her to the vet on Ashleigh’s behalf but this was refused. She told me that she would take her to the vet within the week but I told her to take Lucy within 24 hours – either that same day or first thing in the morning if need be.
“We discussed euthanasia and doing the right thing by Lucy if the vet agreed that it was needed and Ashleigh assured me that she would take her to the vets. We also discussed the matting on the dogs which was thick down the legs and knotted around the ears. Again, I was assured that this would be resolved.”
A warning notice was also given at that visit, but despite Kelly agreeing she would take action, a check with the veterinary practice she said she was going to use confirmed that neither dog had been seen.
The RSPCA continued to check daily, and on 16 December Alfie and Lucy were seized from the house by the police and taken immediately to a vet by Inspector Proctor.
On examination, black and white Shih Tzu Lucy was found to have severe muscle wastage and extensive matting around her face and on her body and paws. She was markedly wobbly and weak on all four legs and weighed 5kg (11.02 pounds), with the vet giving her a body score condition of one of out nine.
She also had overgrown nails, dental disease, poor vision, a grade four heart murmur and prominent ribs, spine and pelvic bones.
In her written statement to the court the vet said: “I would conclude that Lucy was suffering (discomfort, hunger and symptoms of disease) and that suffering could have been reasonably avoided or at least reduced by the owner having sought veterinary treatment. This animal’s needs were not being met and she was likely to have suffered for several months.
Sadly Lucy was put to sleep on the advice of the vet, which was verbally agreed and signed in writing by the police officer who had been involved in removing her from the property.
Alfie’s movement was described as ‘stilted’ and ‘slow’ due to the severity of the matted fur over his face, neck, legs, feet and tail, some of which was stained with urine and faeces. Quiet, but alert and responsive, the cream and white dog was given a body condition score of three out of nine.
The vet added: “This little dog tolerated an extensive dematting over the course of a couple of hours to remove all the matted, overgrown and soiled fur – this was done while Alfie was conscious with regular breaks to ensure his comfort.
“I believe Alfie was suffering and this could have been reasonably avoided by providing adequate food and meeting his grooming needs, including cleaning/cleansing any furred area that was becoming soiled. I suspect this dog had been suffering for many months due to discomfort from matted and soiled fur and hunger.”
In an interview with the RSPCA, Kelly said she thought Alfie’s condition was ‘fine’ and she didn’t believe that either dog was suffering.
She was shown a video of one of Lucy’s overgrown nails which had curled round into a spiral and then snapped because of her matted fur. Kelly said she was ‘well aware’ of this but the dog wouldn’t let her cut her claws.
In addition to the ten year ban, Kelly was also fined £200 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £26.
n mitigation the court was told she had no money and was ‘genuinely sorry’ about what had happened to the dogs.
Speaking after the case Inspector Proctor said: “Ashleigh Kelly was given ample opportunity to do the right thing by Alfie and Lucy but she repeatedly refused to heed advice, act on the warnings she’d been given or follow through on the actions she said she was going to take.
“These were elderly dogs who were especially vulnerable because of their age, but they were badly let down by the person whose responsibility it was to care for them and put their welfare first. The team at the vets did a fantastic job, carefully removing Alfie’s matted fur for two hours. He’s doing well in a wonderful foster home, where he’s likely to remain, enjoying the company of other dogs and being thoroughly spoiled and loved for however long he may have left.”
