A woman from Croydon has been handed a ten-year ban on owning dogs and given a 12-month community order after failing to provide adequate nutrition and veterinary treatment for her emaciated dog, following an RSPCA investigation and prosecution.
Ebony Hoyte-Griffith (DOB 27.2.1975) of Totton Road, Thornton Heath was found guilty and sentenced at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on 24 July after being convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog.
She was also handed 200 hours of unpaid work and £614 costs.
Four-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Skylar was taken to a vet on 22 June last year in an emaciated and collapsed state, and concerned vets called the RSPCA to investigate. Hoyte-Griffith said she had been eating well until the night before, but had eaten cavity wall insulation the previous day. However the vet found she had been suffering for many months prior to this.
With assistance from police, Skylar was seized under the Animal Welfare Act. The following day Skylar’s condition sadly deteriorated further and she was euthanised by a vet on welfare grounds.
A vet said she was 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 severe dehydration, repeated vomiting and had 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 treated by a different vet months before, but Hoyte-Griffith had not returned to any vets when her condition had failed to improve. She was eligible for PDSA-funded veterinary treatment.
She was unable to provide any explanation for the dog’s suffering and continued to deny any wrongdoing.
Inspector Sandy Barlow who led the prosecution for the RSPCA said: “Skylar was left to suffer unnecessarily for a period of months. Had Skylar received prompt veterinary treatment, she may still be alive today.
“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.”
