RSPCA: Twenty year pet ban for couple who let mastiff dog starve to death

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A Liverpool couple have been banned from keeping animals for 20 years, after they left their mastiff dog Zeus to starve to death.

Stephen O’Donnell, 38, and Rachel Foster, 39, were last week sentenced at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court, after early pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. RSPCA animal rescue officer Hannah Yen first visited their East Lancashire Road property in July last year, after the charity received a report about an underweight dog which had collapsed in the garden.

The garden was heavily overgrown, but the court heard that officer Yen could see a dog’s body lying on the floor of a wooden kennel. She tried making noises to attract his attention, but he did not respond.

“Mr O'Donnell said the dog was called Zeus, he was 22 months old and was a mastiff breed. I looked in the kennel, there were flies on the dog and the dog's body condition was poor. I could see no chest movement, the dog was cold to touch and sadly the dog was dead,” she said.

Mr O’Donnell had told her he planned to bury Zeus, but she told him she would need to take the body to be examined by a vet. He claimed he “had put the dog out in the evening and when he checked on him the next morning, he found the dog was dead”.

The rescue officer passed the case over to RSPCA inspector Caren Goodman-James, who investigated and found that Zeus had been left unattended without food or water. The court heard that in their official report, a vet found Zeus most likely died due to emaciation caused by a lack of nutrition. Zeus weighed just 18.9kg, and was so thin vets could not feel any fat tissue on him.

The vet report said: “On examination, the body was extremely thin. There were no symptoms of any obvious disorder or injuries which would cause death. Regardless of the cause of severe weight loss, a reasonable owner should have sought veterinary attention for the dog in that state.

“In my opinion Zeus was suffering prior to death due to hunger, weakness and fear,” they continued. “The process of weight loss was chronic - muscle and fat tissue loss was present which happens when the body starts using these tissues as an emergency resource of energy in the case of prolonged hunger. I can estimate the duration for approximately two months, but likely longer.”

The pair were both sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work - plus 20 rehabilitation activity days each. Neither can appeal their 20-year pet ban for the next 15 years. They were given 28 days to rehome their other pet - a bearded dragon - or it would be handed over to the RSPCA.

After sentencing, inspector Caren Goodman-James said: “This was a sad case involving the unnecessary death of a poor emaciated dog. We know that times can be tough with the cost of living crisis which may mean owners struggle to afford their pets but to allow a poor dog to starve as a result is incredibly cruel.”

The RSPCA urges anyone who was struggling to reach out for help from friends and family, find a pet foodbank near them, or ask an animal charity for advice and support. “Always contact a vet immediately if you have concerns for the health of your pet,” she added.