Animal ban for Manchester woman whose neglect caused shih tzu death

A woman from Manchester has been banned from keeping any kind of animal for five years after neglecting her dogs so severely that one died and the other required intensive veterinary treatment.

Gillian Walton of Manchester, who pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to two dogs and failing to meet their welfare needs when she was sentenced at Manchester Magistrates Court on 16 August.

The court heard that Walton had allowed her two Shih Tzus to suffer with chronic flea infestations resulting in severe anaemia, to the extent that one dog - Millie - died, and the other, Cindy, required intensive emergency veterinary treatment and rehabilitation. Both dogs had been found to be in poor bodily condition, with severely matted coats and skin and eye diseases. In addition, the dogs’ needs had not been met, with the dogs unwalked, not fed appropriately and living in very unsanitary conditions.

RSPCA Animal Rescue Office (ARO) Jessica Pierce had first visited the address in July 2023 to carry out a welfare check after the charity had received a report expressing concerns about one dead dog and another dog in worrying bodily condition and living in an inappropriate environment.  

When ARO Pierce entered the property, she saw Cindy - a female Shih Tzu. The dog’s fur was matted around her front and back end and she appeared to be bald in the middle. She could clearly see that Cindy was severely underweight as all of her ribs, spine and hip bones were very prominent. 

The property had old and new faeces on the floor and up the stairs and there was rubbish everywhere, along with a smell of ammonia.

The defendant admitted that her second dog - Millie - was dead, and was wrapped in a blanket upstairs.

Cindy was signed over to the RSPCA and taken to the charity’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital to be examined and treated. Millie’s body was seized and also passed over into the RSPCA’s care.

RSPCA Senior Veterinary Clinician Dr Shannon McCall, who examined the two dogs, said that both had poor body condition, deep matting to their coats and a marked flea infestation, leading to severe anaemia, causing Millie’s death over a period of up to 20 days.

She said: “It is likely that [Millie’s] death was caused by a severe flea infestation resulting in anaemia. This will have caused her to feel weakness and debilitation having a severe lack of energy. This will have been uncomfortable and severely impacted her everyday life, ability to ambulate, to obtain food or water and play. The fleas would have caused constant irritation, discomfort and ultimate suffering that resulted in death.”

In addition, the dogs’ welfare needs had not been met, with them having to live in unsuitable living conditions with a lack of clean, dry and comfortable resting places and no maintenance of their coats.

Dr McCall added: “[Cindy] and [Millie] had no walks/play therefore they had poor levels of enrichment. Furthermore, this was likely a negative mental experience for [them] - they are likely to have experienced frustration, boredom, helplessness, loneliness, anxiety and fear.

“Both dogs were under conditioned. I would expect a responsible owner to seek veterinary attention should their pet become [severely] underweight ….. [Especially] if their animal became weak or lethargic.”

Dr McCall said that Walton had failed to comply with any elements of the accepted code of practice for the welfare of dogs which states what the average dog owner is expected to do when caring for a dog. She concluded that the duration of these failings would have been a minimum of several weeks but was more likely to have been for a period of months.

Cindy has since made a great recovery, achieved a healthy weight and her coat and skin have recovered. She has since been successfully and happily rehomed by the RSPCA.

As well as the five year ban on keeping animals Walton was also sentenced to a 16 week prison sentence (suspended for 12 months) and up to 15 RAR (Rehabilitation Activity Requirement) days. Walton was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a Victim Surcharge of £154.00. 

The RSPCA urges anyone struggling to take care of their pet to seek help, rather than neglecting them and leaving them to suffer.