Warning: This article contains distressing images.
A woman has been banned from owning dogs for 10 years after failing to provide adequate nutrition and veterinary care for her pet, which had to be put down.
Ebony Hoyte-Griffith, of Totton Road in Thornton Heath, was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to her four-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, Skylar.
Hoyte-Griffith was sentenced at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on 24 July following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
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The court heard that Hoyte-Griffith failed to provide adequate nutrition and veterinary care for Skylar, who was left emaciated and collapsed when taken to a vet on 22 June last year.
RSPCA inspector Sandy Barlow said: "Skylar was left to suffer unnecessarily for a period of months.
"Had Skylar received prompt veterinary treatment, she may still be alive today."
Hoyte-Griffith claimed Skylar had been eating well until the previous evening and had consumed cavity wall insulation the day before she was brought to the vet.
However, veterinary evidence showed Skylar had been suffering for many months.
Skylar was seized under the Animal Welfare Act with the assistance of police.
Her condition deteriorated further the next day and she was euthanised on welfare grounds.
A vet described her as severely emaciated, with a body condition score of one out of nine.
She was unable to stand, had lost nearly all muscle mass, and was suffering from dehydration, repeated vomiting, and multiple infected pressure sores from being unable to move.
The vet said: "It is my professional opinion that Skylar had undergone an extended period of suffering, over a period of at least three months based on the body condition score, but could very likely have been in this state for much longer, up to six months prior.
"It is clear to me that her needs were not being met due to a lack of nutrition and lack of seeking veterinary treatment for her weight loss."
Skylar had been seen by a different vet several months earlier, but Hoyte-Griffith did not return for follow-up care despite being eligible for PDSA-funded treatment.
She was unable to provide any explanation for Skylar’s suffering and continued to deny any wrongdoing.
Alongside the 10-year ban, Hoyte-Griffith was handed a 12-month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £614 in costs.
Inspector Barlow reminded pet owners of their legal and ethical responsibilities.
She said: "This sad case is a reminder to pet owners that they have a legal duty to provide the correct nutrition and veterinary care for their pets.
"For any pet owners struggling, there’s cost of living advice on the RSPCA’s website."
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