UPSETTING CONTENT: Calderdale woman given indefinite animal ban after dog starves to death in cage

Bulldog Doris and Rottweiler puppy Rox were left behind by Leah O’Connor when she moved out of the property in Melrose Street, Halifax, in February 2023.

Conditions inside the rubbish and faeces-strewn house were so bad that the RSPCA officer who removed the dogs found it difficult to speak because of the overpowering smell of ammonia.

Emaciated Doris was later found to have eaten plastic to survive and the position of Rox’s body in the cage suggested she had been trying to get out for some time prior to her death.

O’Connor was prosecuted by the RSPCA after the animal welfare charity was called in to investigate when the abandoned dogs were discovered by the landlord on February 21.

The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to two offences contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

At a sentencing hearing on April 11, Bradford magistrates were told that the ‘prolonged neglect’ and abandonment of the dogs by their owner for a long period of time could not be regarded as anything other than ‘a deliberate act, perhaps short of sadistic behaviour’.

The court heard O’Connor had ‘spun a web of lies’ to neighbours and family members, telling them Doris and Rox had been rehomed to someone on a farm.

She had concealed their suffering and the state of the property which she wouldn’t allow anyone to enter, before finally leaving the house and abandoning the dogs to die inside.

RSPCA Inspector Demi Hodby, who investigated the case, took a video inside the house and struggled to describe the conditions because of the overpowering smell.

Stairs inside the three-story property were covered in faeces and there was mouldy food all over the kitchen worktops and piles of rubbish and other hazards littered throughout.

In written evidence to the court, the inspector said: “Towards the back of the room behind the sofa was a dog cage covered with a blue blanket. Inside was the body of a deceased dog which appeared to be a black and tan rottweiler puppy.

“The dog itself was in an emaciated condition. One of its legs was poked through the cage and wrapped around the bars.

"It was absolutely heartbreaking to think what this dog has gone through leading up to its death.”

The other dog, Doris, was found barely alive on top of a single bed in an upstairs bedroom, being comforted by a friend of the landlord.

She was emaciated, shivering and lethargic and described by Inspector Hodby as ‘very flat and hardly moving’.

Severely dehydrated and covered in fleas - which were jumping off her continuously - she weighed 12.05kg.

In a written statement to the court, he said: “Doris’ poor body condition and emaciation caused suffering by making her feel weak and hypothermic which was confirmed by her being carried into the consultation room as she was too weak to stand.

“Due to the extreme nature of the emaciation and the huge numbers of live fleas, both conditions were long lasting, from weeks to months.”

Sadly, despite the best efforts of vets and other staff, her condition deteriorated further in the days that followed and the decision was made to put her to sleep to prevent further suffering.

In an interview with Inspector Hodby, O’Connor stated that she had rehomed the dogs after leaving the address and claimed someone must have broken into the property as she wasn't aware they were there.

In mitigation the court was told that O’Connor, now of Summerfield Road, Todmorden, had been diagnosed with low maturity and struggled with alcohol and drug issues - which she was getting help for - as well as depression and anxiety.

Suspending the 20-week prison sentence for 18 months, magistrates also banned her from keeping animals indefinitely and ordered her to carry out 33 RAR days and pay compensation to the landlord.

Speaking after the case, Inspector Hodby said: “The sight of Rox, who had wasted away in that filthy cage, unable to escape, is something that will stay with me, and those who discovered her, for a long time. Along with Doris, she'd endured unimaginable suffering over a prolonged period of time, having been abandoned and forgotten about.

“Doris received the very best care after she was rescued, and everyone involved in looking after her was devastated that she didn’t pull through. This was a case of profound cruelty and neglect which upset many people, and I'd like to thank everyone who helped us bring this investigation to a conclusion."