Seven year animal ban for West Yorkshire woman who left dog with chronic skin condition
Frenchie Cookie was left suffering with serious health issues
A Leeds woman who left a dog suffering from serious health issues without taking it for treatment at a vet has been banned from keeping animals for seven years.
32 year old Abigail Barker, of Raylands Way, was found guilty of two offences under the Animal Welfare Act at a trial last month following a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.
Magistrates also handed her a 12 month community order, fines and costs.
It comes after an RSPCA welfare officer went to Barker's house last January to check on the condition of a dog.
Cookie, a Frenchie, was found to have an obvious skin condition, with Barker being handed a notice compelling her to seek treatment for the pet.
At a follow up visit in Feburary Cookie appeared to have got worse, with a skin infection and sore ears. It was also clear she had lost weight.
Cookie was removed from the home and found to have extensive skin lesions affecting her face, ears, trunk, and legs.
Blood tests found there were no underlying reasons for the condition of the dog, with the most likely reason being lack of food.
In written evidence the vet said: “It’s my professional opinion, due to her severe, extensive, and chronic itchy skin as well as the bilateral chronic ear infections, that the person responsible for Cookie caused her unnecessary suffering and had failed to meet the dog’s needs via the appropriate veterinary attention and treatment.
“A reasonable owner would recognise and seek treatment for such diffuse dramatic skin lesions and scratching.
"These problems were clearly visible due to her loss of hair, prominent discharge and malformation of ears and her frequent scratching behaviour.”
"From the severity of the skin lesions that Cookie had suffered for a minimum of four weeks.”
Cookie was signed over to the RSPCA during the course of the investigation and has now been rehomed, along with two other dogs belonging to Barker.RSPCA