Dog became so thin it was on brink of death

A mother and son have admitted allowing their pet dog to get so thin that he was on the brink of death. Marcia Webb and Dylan Coffin failed to feed Tyson, a Beagle-type cross breed, to such an extent he lost almost half his bodyweight.

The poor diet also led to him contracting anaemia, in a case one vet described as one of the worst he had ever seen.

Sandwell Magistrates Court yesterday heard the RSPCA visited the home in Crusader Close, Oldbury, on November 14 last year after an anonymous tip-off about a collapsed dog.

Webb answered the door and immediately confessed "yes, the dog is neglected" but then tried to shift the blame on to her son, saying he was responsible.

Prosecutor Mrs Gaynor Sutton said: "The dog's spine and hipbones were clearly visible. His head was hanging and it appeared lethargic and weak."

Tests revealed the dog was seriously anaemic, having just 25 per cent red blood cells compared with the 36 per cent to 57 per cent considered normal.

He also weighed 12kg when he should have weighed about 20kg. "The vet said in his report there had been a total lack of care," added Mrs Gaynor. "He said the death of the dog could have been just a short period away.

He said it was one of the worst cases of starvation he had ever seen."

Tyson has now been rehomed and has recovered.

Yesterday both Webb, aged 38, and Coffin,18, pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal between September 14, 2011 and November 14, 2011.

The case was adjourned for reports and the pair are due to return to Sandwell Magistrates Court for sentencing on May 18. They were given bail.