RSPCA: Dog ban for woman who left starving new mum Staffy tied up outside - without food, water or shelter

A woman has received a 12-month dog ban, after an emaciated dog who had recently given birth was found tied up outside her house - with no access to food, water or shelter.

Diana Kierpacz, 26, was handed the ban after her two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Brenda was found tied up in a faeces and rubbish-strewn yard at a property in Kennerleigh Walk, Bradford. The dog, who had given birth to a litter of puppies seven weeks earlier, had a painful long-standing eye condition called entropion, and was severely underweight - with a body condition score of just one out of nine according to a vet who examined her.  

Kierpacz had previously pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to Brenda and failing to meet her needs, after an RSPCA-led prosecution. At her sentencing this month, Bradford Magistrates Court heard how RSPCA inspector Demi Hodby visited her house in May 2022, after the animal welfare charity received a concerned call about a thin dog in a backyard.

In her written evidence, the inspector said: “At the rear there was a female Staffordshire bull terrier type dog with very enlarged nipples. The dog looked to have recently given birth but there were no signs of the puppies. She had no access to water, shelter or food and her eyes were sunken into her head. All of the dog's ribs were visible as well as her spine and hip bones."

The dog had a choke chain on, and was tethered to a fence using an extendable lead, she continued. "The lead was tied to a piece of rope which was then attached to the dog's collar. She was able to walk around but I was concerned she could injure herself as the tether was inappropriate.”

Brenda seemed timid and lethargic, and concerned for her welfare, Inspector Hodby made enquiries and sought vet advice. The situation was the same when she returned  an hour later, and the officer contacted police. The court heard Kierpacz then arrived and told inspector Hodby that Brenda was only outside for an hour while she went shopping so she could “enjoy the weather”, and said the dog had access to water - despite none being present. When offered some, Brenda was so thirsty she nearly knocked the bowl over.

Kierpacz was told that Brenda’s living conditions were unacceptable and with the defendant’s agreement, she was taken to the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital. She weighed just 24.2 kg and was given a body condition score of just one out of nine by the vet who examined her.

“The most likely cause of this thin state was the increased nutritional demands of pregnancy followed by lactation which in particular is very energy demanding, requiring the animal to consume approximately three times the amount of calories and other nutrients than normal," the vet wrote. While most nursing dogs lose some weight, becoming this thin was not normal - which suggested she was not being fed enough.

The court heard that Kierpacz was not a breeder and Brenda had mated accidentally with a friend’s dog. She had also been aware of her dog's eye condition, but had not seen taken her to a vet in 18 months.

Disqualifying her from keeping dogs for 12 months, magistrates said Brenda had been found in a “very neglected and emaciated state and there was clear evidence that this offending has gone on for a long time”. With the right care and nutrition, Brenda’s weight improved - and by the beginning of August she was 29 kg. She had successful entropion surgery and was also neutered, and later found a new home.

The court order means that several other dogs owned by Kierpacz will now also have to be rehomed.