Halifax dog owner gets suspended jail term over "starvation" of pet Staffordshire

Chloe Naylor, 26, was also banned from keeping animals for life by Bradford magistrates.

Naylor had claimed nine-year-old Buddy choked to death after getting his head caught in a dog crate.

Vets who examined him found no injuries to support that claim but evidence to suggest he had not been fed for months.

Naylor, of Gledcliffe, was given a 17-month jail term, suspended for a year, after failing to feed nine-year-old Buddy properly or take him to a vet.

At sentencing on January 29, the court ordered her to pay £200 costs and £154 surcharge, ruled that her two cats should be taken from her care and imposed ten Rehabilitation Action Requirement days.

She admitted causing unnecessary suffering to her pet under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, by failing to cater for his dietary or medical needs.

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Oliver Wilkes told the court he attended the vets’ practice where Buddy’s body was taken.

The vet’s statement said: “The owner claimed he had only been unwell for a week but in my professional opinion a dog does not become that emaciated in such a short period of time.

“It is much more likely that this was in fact a result of multiple weeks to months of not eating.

“I have no doubt this dog sadly suffered prior to his death due to starvation, I suspect this suffering was over the course of weeks to months.”

RSPCA Inspector Adam Dickinson said he visited the defendant and she admitted she had struggled to look after Buddy since having a baby. He had been losing weight for six months.

In addition to the struggles since having a child, in mitigation, it was claimed that Buddy did get his head stuck and the defendant had sought help afterwards.

Inspector Dickinson said: "The suffering that Buddy must have experienced is deeply distressing.

"It is the responsibility of the owners to ensure the wellbeing of their pets and protect them from harm.

“This has been a tragic reminder that if you fall on hard times, help will always be there should you reach out and ask for it."