A woman who refused to feed her ex’s dog after they broke up left it in a skeletal state before an animal welfare charity stepped in and saved its life.
Katie Lynch admitted to SSPCA inspectors that she had nothing to do with lurcher Dexter after the split and just assumed her eight-year-old daughter was taking care of him.
When a vet examined the starving dog, it had a body weight of 15kg instead of the usual 25kg-28kg expected of it.
It was given a body score of 0 out of 9 – a rating rarely used as it describes “skeletal cases”, Banff Sheriff Court was told.
Lynch, 31, was caught after her own mother saw the state of Dexter and called the SSPCA to report it was a “stray”.
Fiscal depute Ellen Barr told the court the dog was neglected between February 20 and March 6 last year but that a vet suspected it would have taken months for it to lose the 10kg of body weight.
She said Lynch’s mother first noticed the clear signs of neglect when visiting her daughter at her former Bogroy Crescent home in Cornhill.
“She was shocked to see the poor condition of the animal as all its bones could easily be seen,” the fiscal said.
“She decided she would phone the SSPCA and report that she had found the dog straying as she’d didn’t want to say that the dog had been residing at her daughter’s home.
“The SSPCA came and uplifted the dog from the mother’s home and it was taken to a vet.”
That vet gave Dexter a body score of 0 out of 9, a normal score being four or five, and said it weighed 15.6kg instead of a healthy 25-28kg.
‘Completely skeletal’
“A score of 0 out of 9 is so rarely used because it’s usually only used for completely skeletal cases,” the fiscal said, adding that the vet suspected it would have taken “months” of inadequate nutrition for the dog to become so thin.
The animal welfare charity issued a release with a picture of Dexter in a bid to trace his owner and multiple tip-offs named Katie Lynch as having the dog in her home.
They paid her a visit and found she had two other dogs, a Staffordshire bull terrier and a schnauzer, running around her garden in good condition and enjoying a large run and kennel.
Charity inspectors interviewed Lynch and she denied ownership of the dog, indicating it had belonged to her ex-partner, the court heard.
Ms Barr said: “She denied she had any responsibility for the dog but did state she thought her ex-partner had left the dog at her property but she took nothing to do with it.
“She stated she believed her eight-year-old daughter had been taking care of it.”
‘I was too busy with the break-up’
When asked if she’d fed the dog herself, Lynch replied: “I think my daughter did. She kept sneaking out with food.”
When asked if she checked this, she stated: “No. I was too busy with the break-up. I was not in the right frame of mind dealing with my disability and the break-up.”
She signed Dexter over to the SSPCA, who spent two months caring for him and he eventually regained his body weight and was happily rehomed.
Lynch pleaded guilty to causing an animal unnecessary suffering.
Her defence agent Stephen Carty said she had been suffering from mental health issues at the time.
‘She was somewhat aware the dog was there’
“The break-up had a massive effect on her mental health,” he said. “The end of the relationship has probably been a positive thing for Miss Lynch.
“It appears at the end of the relationship her former partner has left the dog at the house.
“She has been somewhat aware that the dog was there but in her view, the responsibility for the care of the animal fell to her ex-partner, not her.
“It’s a matter of regret to her. If she had phoned the SSPCA I am sure they would have come out and helped.”
Referencing background and psychiatrist reports he added his client’s mental health was poor and “she had suffered a great deal herself”.
He added the first offender had acted “out of character” but had recently moved back in with her mother who was providing a “great source of support”.
Sheriff Robert McDonald, who was shown photos of Dexter at his thinnest, said the images and the body score were “shocking”.
SSPCA would’ve wished an animal ban
He said he took into account Lynch’s personal circumstances at the time but that “doesn’t excuse the offence”.
He handed Lynch, now of Wood Place, Portknockie, 90 hours of unpaid work and a six-month supervision order.
He said he ordinarily “wouldn’t hesitate in imposing a disqualification order” in a case like this, but said he trusted the SSPCA would have acted if they had any concerns over the care of Lynch’s other two dogs.
SSPCA senior inspector Lesley Crocket said she hopes Lynch will “seriously consider her ability to care for animals in the future”.
She added: “Lynch claimed the dog belonged to her ex-partner, who she had last seen two or three months prior and that she was unaware if Dexter had been left behind in her garden.
“She claimed never to have heard the dog barking and thought her ex-partner had taken him away or sold him.
“We’re pleased that Lynch has received a sentence for the suffering she caused to Dexter. We hope she will seriously consider her ability to care for any animal in future.”
“If anyone is concerned about the welfare of an animal they can call our confidential helpline on 03000 999 999.”
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