RSPCA: Pet ban for woman who left her French bulldog 'Peanut' to starve

A dog owner who starved her French bulldog until she was just skin and bones has been banned from keeping animals for five years - while her former pup has made an incredible recovery.

Claire Kirton, 46, of Crewe, previously pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act, before appearing for sentencing at the South Cheshire Magistrates’ Court this month. As well as the pet ban, magistrates imposed a 12-month community order on Kirton, which means she will need to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, and ordered her to pay about £500 in costs.

The court heard that RSPCA Inspector Jenny Bethel visited Kirton’s property at Coleridge Way on 18 August last year, where she found an "extremely underweight", brindle-coloured French bulldog called Peanut. The inspector said in a statement that the dog’s hips, ribs and spine were all clearly visible.

Kirton claimed she had only owned Peanut for five weeks, and that the pup was "skinnier" when she took her in. She admitted, however, that she has not taken the dog to a vet, despite how thin she was. In mitigation, the court heard that she suffered from mental health problems.

Inspector Bethel rushed Peanut to the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, where it was clear that her ill health was causing her mobility issues. "She was very unstable on her back end and I observed her stumble and collapse several times while at the vets," she said.

On admission, Peanut weighed just 6.7kg and had a body condition score of one out of nine, which classified her as emaciated. She was also suffering from muscle loss, a flea infestation, ear lesions and overgrown nails. The dog was anaemic - and was so hungry that when she was offered food at the hospital she ate "ravenously".

The RSPCA said Peanut was treated for fleas and worms and put on a feeding plan. She put on 3.6kg in weight in less than two months, and has since made a good recovery.

The vet told the court: "A reasonable owner would have sought veterinary care or feeding advice in the case of sudden or chronic weight loss of an animal like this. The duration of Peanut’s suffering was at least two to three months."

Speaking after the sentencing, Inspector Bethel said: "The defendant didn’t do anything to help this poor dog. Despite claiming to have fed her every day, it appears she didn’t have the time or inclination to do so properly. As a result, Peanut lost a vast amount of weight and she was incredibly skinny when we found her.

Since her ordeal, Peanut was placed in foster care by the RSPCA, and has now found a caring new owner. "She is a different dog now and the RSPCA foster carer who took her in has now provided her with a new home where she will be loved and cared for."