Forres woman banned from owning animals for 10 years for neglecting dog

A Moray woman has been banned from owning animals for 10 years after her dog was found severely malnourished and covered in faeces.

Rebecca Ferguson has been convicted after her Cockapoo, now known as Nancy, was rescued from Ferguson's Forres home earlier this year.

Nancy was found in a spare room of the property which had a smell of urine and faeces.

Her coat was matted with faeces and she had sores on her rear legs.

Scottish SPCA Inspector 'extremely saddened' by Nancy's condition

A water bowl had mould on the top of it.

The living room of the property contained a dog crate and food bowls, however there was faeces within the bowls, bedding and all over the floor.

When Nancy was collected by an inspector for the animal welfare charity the Scottish SPCA, they were so taken aback by Nancy’s condition that they described her looking like a “bag of bones”.

According to the Scottish SPCA, the vet noted they had never laid their hands on a dog so skeletal as Nancy was that was still able to walk and interact.

After initially being given a body score of 1/9, within three weeks in the charity’s care Nancy gained 4.6kg and made an improvement to her condition.

She has since been rehomed and is thriving.

The Inspector said: “Nancy was one of the thinnest dogs I have seen in my 18 years with the Scottish SPCA.

"Her emaciated condition and heavily matted coat were immediately apparent, and I was extremely saddened by the extent of her suffering.

“A responsible owner should never allow an animal’s condition to deteriorate to this extent and should seek help if they are struggling to provide appropriate care.

“I am relieved Nancy was rescued and given a second chance. She is now thriving in her new home.”

During sentencing at Elgin Sheriff Court last week, Ferguson was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work as well as being handed the ban.