Owner of 'abandoned' dog given life pet ban

A dog owner who "abandoned" her pet and allowed it to waste away in her back garden in Bilston has been banned for owning animals for life.

The 13-year-old black and tan crossbreed was infested with maggots, was skeletal and suffering so much it had to be destroyed.

Its owner, Donna Edwards, who works as assistant manager at the TK Maxx store in Bentley Bridge Retail Park, Wednesfield, admitted five charges of animal cruelty when she appeared at the city's magistrates court yesterday.

Mr Roger Price, prosecuting for the RSPCA, told the court it was by chance that the dog was discovered at Edwards' home in Bank Street, Bradley.

"The police were called to the defendant's address after reports there was a suspected burglar on the premises," he said.

"Police arrived and it turned out it was the defendant's son who had climbed over the gate and into the garden.

"While there they saw a dog lying on wet concrete. The police officer thought the dog was dead."

Mr Price told the court the dog was in an "atrocious" state.

It was taken to St George's Vets in Wolverhampton, where staff weighed the animal and it was just 12.5kg. The ideal weight for a dog of its kind is 30kg.

"The dog had no body fat at all," Mr Price added. "He was extremely weak and maggots were crawling out of its skin. This dog had been abandoned."

The dog was put down.

Mr Richard Quinn, defending, said Edwards was distressed over the incident.

He told the court several months earlier to the RSPCA intervention in November last year, 33-year-old Edwards had split from her boyfriend and was struggling to cope with bringing up three children and holding down a full-time job.

Edwards was handed an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

She must pay £2,297 in costs and £43 in compensation to the vets.