Starving dogs kept in cages at Halesowen home
A woman kept two starving dogs in cages in her family living room – claiming one was even dead when RSPCA inspectors arrived at her door, a court heard.
The dogs were 'lifeless' and given the lowest possible condition ratings by vets after they were seized from Jodi Russell's former home in Halesowen in October last year.
One of the dogs, described as the thinnest a vet had ever seen, died within 24 hours because of starvation. The other has survived and is being re-homed.
Russell, aged 27, who kept the dogs at her former home in Maple Road, was found guilty of two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the dogs and four charges of failing in her duty as owner at Dudley Magistrates' Court yesterday.
She failed to turn up to the hearing, which took place in her absence.
Mr Nick Sutton, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said charity inspector Steven Morrell turned up at Russell's home, finding the dogs in a starving state in cages in the living room, while children played around them.
He said: "The inspector turned up at the address. He asked the tenant if she had two dogs who were ill. She said yes, and that one had just died."
Mr Sutton said Russell had told the inspector that he couldn't see the dogs because the children were playing and didn't know one had died.
He added: "The inspector pressed and was invited in, inside the property he saw the dogs in the living room in cages with the children running around them. She pointed out the dark male dog and said he was dead.
"The inspector noticed it was still alive and barely breathing.
"It was like a skeleton. The other dog was in a similar curled-up way and was lifeless." The dogs were seized and taken to vets at Manor Veterinary Practice, where they were both given a condition rating of one out of nine.
Russell also failed to appear at the first hearing in July.
Mr Sutton said in interview Russell accepted responsibility for the dogs' condition. She told officers she had taken one dog to the PDSA, but without benefit paper work she was unable to get it looked at. Mr Sutton said Russell's father had died 12 months earlier and she had not come to terms with it.
District Judge Michael Wheeler issued a warrant for Russell's arrest so she can be sentenced at court.
