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Mum gets ban over starving dog
Tuesday 22nd April 2008, 11:49AM BST.
A single mother from Telford, who starved her springer spaniel until it looked like a “skeleton covered in skin”, has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
Unemployed 26-year-old Laura Hanson, of McCormick Drive, Shawbirch, who also has a pet cat, sobbed in court as RSPCA prosecutor Nick Sutton described the plight of her two-year-old bitch Poppy.
She was told by District Judge Kevin Grego: “If you let a dog almost literally starve to death at your feet as you are watching television, I don’t want you to keep any animal in future for a long time.”
He rejected Hanson’s plea to let her keep her cat and ordered her to hand it over immediately to the RSPCA, which has already found a new home for Poppy.
He suggested Hanson found herself a job to pay £500 within a four-month deadline towards the £1,803 costs of bringing the case to court and treating Poppy.
He said he accepted Hanson’s neglect of Poppy had been born out of ignorance and lack of money.
Hanson admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Poppy when she appeared before Telford Magistrates Court yesterday.
Mr Sutton said the alarm was raised on October 13 last year by the distressed young daughter of a neighbour who went into Ashcroft Vets, Shawbirch.
A vet went to Hanson’s home and found Poppy in a state of collapse.
“She was very emaciated. There was no fat or muscle present and all the bones were easily visible,” he said.
“She looked like a skeleton covered in skin.”
Poppy was taken to the surgery and found to weigh just 7.9kg compared with the normal weight of a springer spaniel of 20 to 24kg. Poppy was dehydrated and unable to stand unsupported but ate ravenously when offered food and had since made a complete recovery.
Mrs Joanne Griffiths, for Hanson, said she had spoken to a vet’s receptionist about Poppy’s weight loss and a payment scheme for treatment but had not taken it any further.
She had given Poppy worming tablets and powders and had tried changing the diet but to no avail.
“She realises with hindsight that she neglected Poppy and didn’t give her sufficient food,” Mrs Griffiths added.
By Peter Johnson
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peole like that make me sick they should not evan be allowed so much as a fly as a pet.
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they should starve her see how she likes it..
Its all very well crying but could she seriously not see that the dog was suffering.
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“banned from keeping animals for 10 years”
BIG DEAL – who is going to enforce this? It’s a shame she couldn’t be given a dose of the same treatment she gave the poor dog?
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What a horrible lady
deserves the same treatment to her
should be locked up
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first of all what has being a single mom got to do with this case ?
She is a cruel person and her tears must have been shed purely for the fact that she had been caught and nothing to do with remorse.
But how is this ban ever going to be inforced.
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banning her they should have jailed her for 10 years
and why inside she should be starved
people like this make me so sick how can anyone let an animal suffer like this
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Why oh Why do they do it if she couldn’t see the dog was starving, is she able to also have the responsibility of caring for children!
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she deserves a prison sentence
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should get banned from keeping animals for life not just for 10 years , and i agree she should be made to go hungry for a while so she knows what shes done .
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Ban her for life and impose the highest possible fine – £20K would be nearer the mark.
People like this make my blood boil!
There is absoultely NO EXCUSE and I agree with Wendy – the tears would have been for dramatic effect not becuase she was remorseful!
Evil evil specimin!
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An absolute disgrace ! I agree with Rachel – is she capable to look after children ???
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Every one is always ready to condemn someone. Maybe she had to make the choice between feeding her children or her dog. The children should alwasy come first. She should not have taken the dog on in the first place, nor the cat if she couldn’t afford to feed them. She made a very bad choice, but don’t decide that she is incapable of looking after her children, that is unfair. As for putting her in prison, I do not think that this would be good for her children. As for the £20,000 fine, if she could afford to pay the fine, she probably would have fed the dog.
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You people dont know what your talkin about, and are obviously small minded enough to believe what you read in the paper. You seriously need to get your facts right before you make your pathetic comments like you have done. I hope that you lot dont ever get judged and bad mouthed for somethin you havent done
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Jayne: ‘ I hope that you lot dont ever get judged and bad mouthed for somethin you havent done’, right, so she should be judged for starving her dog because she ‘didn’t do it’. hmm. The dog starved itself then did it???
The poor RSPCA once again have to pick up more than half the costs because of this woman. She should have given the dog to an animal shelter if she couldn’t afford to look after it! That would have been the sensible thing to do surely!
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Jayne give us the facts then!! How can you defend her? Did she not do it? Was it someone elses fault?
If she didn’t have much money then give the dog to the RSPCA
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Jayne your comment makes absolutely no sense…”she didn’t do it” – yeah right the only thing she didn’t do was feed the dog which ,makes her guilty.
People like this really dont deserve animals and I too question her abilty to raise children. The tears were obviously for effect, if they had been genuine and she really did care for the dog she would never have let it starve in the first instance.
I really can’t help wondering if “Jayne” who left that ridiculous comment earlier is either the owner herself or certainly someone who knows her.
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Jayne, I’m presuming the person in the article is a friend of yours who you are defending which is fair enough, however, “Hanson admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Poppy when she appeared before Telford Magistrates Court yesterday” combined with the photos kind of speak for themselves really don’t you think?
I have pets myself and understand that medical costs can pose a problem at times but an animal should quite simply not be bought into a home if the owner is unsure that they could cover these costs at any time. Alternatively pet insurance for a small monthly fee would have been an option. The poor dog had obviously had a problem for a long time and if the owner could not afford look after the dog then she should have taken her to a rescue centre to be looked after properly, if she truely cared for the dog she would have done the best for her, even if that meant giving her up.
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Jayne said:
“You people dont know what your talkin about”
So you do I suppose. Unless you’re going to tell us that it wasn’t her dog and it was a case of mistaken identity, which seems highly unlikely, then she’s clearly guilty as hell. Did somebody make her have the dog and cat?
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It’s not easy to find help from anyone when you need to rehome an animal. There’s a waiting list at the RSPCA, they put you in touch with other groups who might help but it still takes a long time to re home. May be if there was more help this sort of thing wouldn’t happen so much.
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I agree with Jane. We were unfortunate enough to have to rehome my Mother’s dog. She had been a loved pet for 12 years and was fit and healthy (unlike my Mother). We phoned three or four animal charities, including the RSPCA, all we were told was that we could go on the waiting list, but as everywhere was “full” we were told that it would take months. Each charity was quite rude in their dealings with us making an upsetting experience even worse. About six months later in desperation I rang the animal shelter that Mum got the dog from 12 years previously who found a place for her in a Blue Cross shelter. We had to drive half way across the country and pay money in the end for them to accept the dog. We were fortunate that we could scrape together the money to pay and have to transport to do so. Not everyone would have the resources to do this.
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If not a jail sentence then atleast community service, a ten year ban isn’t justice as far as im concerned. They should force her into getting a job aswell living on benefits for the rest of your life shouldn’t be allowed, especially if you cant spare £2 a month for dog food.
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Jayne,
I cant help but agree with the last three comments posted. It takes a bigger person to stand up and ask for help than it does to shy away and then deny all knowledge of the situation. This woman clearly should have asked for help and as Lucy says, if she really cared for the dog, she should have tried to rehome the poor thing instead of denying the dog food – which in my book is unforgiveable!
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You can’t “force” any one into work. Community service is a good idea.
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the judgement of a court has been passed on this lady, thank god poppy is now safe and well. but isnt this just one case in many that has passed through our courts and there will be many more in the years that follow. a life is a life in my book wether it be animal. or human. if a human kills or mame its put in prison. if a dog bites or acts anti socially then its killed. no second chance for the animal. isnt poppys ordeal yet another sign that our system isnt working. when i was lad i was brought up to learn that we all share the same planet and all living things deserve respect. godbless you poppy have a great life
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Being advised by a solicitor to plead guilty is not the same as being guilty.
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Hope one day SHE suffers like she caused that dog to suffer. NO ONE is so poor that it’s a choice between feedind the dog or her children.
Just hope the RSPCA keeps a check on her.
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What a shame its so easy to own a dog, I see people that I know are total numpties getting dogs all the time. Any fool can see they’ll tire of it within nanoseconds, neglect it, never walk it, shut it in the house while they’re off living their lives, and eventually give it away to it’s next nightmare, if temporary owner. Poor Poppy.
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Appauling, no excuse what so ever. Poor Poppy. Im glad she is in a loving home now and away from this vile vile woman.
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I think these people should be jailed and banned for LIFE!!!! And i dont believe that “she couldnt afford to feed it”. “What” she couldnt at least give it some of HER food? And if she couldn’t give it to the RSPCA there is always people like me and others that love animals and would help out. There is too much of this animal cruelty going on, so i think the laws should be tougher on them. Hope she has to starve a little, see how it feels.
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