Adobe StockA woman who left three dogs and a cat without food or water for two days to go on a holiday to Blackpool has been disqualified from owning animals for 18 months.
Catherine Stewart’s pets were discovered after entry was forced to her home in Glasgow’s Castlemilk in July last year.
The 37-year-old had falsely told an SSPCA inspector that her sister was looking after the animals.
Inspectors discovered the locked property to be in an unclean condition and smelled of ammonia.
A 14-year-old Pomeranian chihuahua named Tasha was also found with a string of health conditions.
It was established that Tasha was not registered with a vet and would have been suffering from her issue for around two months. Tasha has since passed away.
First offender, Stewart pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court in May to three charges against the Animal Welfare Act.
Stewart was back in the dock to be sentenced.
Sheriff Joan Kerr told her: “Your background reports tell me about your thought processes and about your ability to think clearly.
“You were very up front to the social worker, which meant I had a degree of information about your background and what may have led to that inability to problem solve.”
Stewart was put under supervision and disqualified from owning animals for 18 months.
The court previously heard that an SSPCA inspector attended Stewart’s home after a complaint was made, but there was no answer.
The inspector began abandonment proceedings and put tape over the door, as well as left his calling card.
He returned the next day to see that the tape had not been disturbed, and he had no response to the calling card.
Wheatley Homes was contacted, and a housing officer made efforts to get in contact with Stewart.
Prosecutor Christa Lindsay said: “Stewart told the housing officer that she was on holiday in Blackpool and would not return for the next three to four hours.
“She stated that her sister was looking after her animals while she was away.”
When asked to provide her sister’s details, Stewart was unable to at the time.
Stewart told the housing officer that she had a camera set up in the property to check up on her pets.
Entry was later forced to the property, and witnesses were immediately met with two border collies.
The dogs named Angel and Gio jumped up on the witnesses and wanted to go out.
However, the Pomeranian chihuahua dog Tasha was barking and had “cloudy eyes and overgrown nails.”
The three dogs only had access to the hallway and the living room.
A search of the property found it to smell of ammonia and faeces, with the surfaces being described as “grubby”.
Miss Lindsay added: “There was no food available for the dogs, and the only water that could be seen was in a mop bucket, which one of the dogs would not be able to access due to its size.”
Four goldfish were also found in a tank in a bedroom.
In another room, inspectors found a young white kitten.
Miss Lindsay said: “The cat was crying and appeared to be desperate for affection.
“The room was messy and contained items such as children’s toys.
“There was no food or water available for the kitten.”
A video doorbell was found in the property, which gave the user at the other end a full view of the living room.
While the search was being conducted, a person spoke with inspectors and was told that the animals would be seized.
A vet later stated that there was concern for one of the older dogs and the kitten, as they were left unattended for 24 hours with no access to food or water.
The younger animals were claimed to be at risk of becoming dehydrated, and their blood sugars were at risk of dropping.
The chihuahua dog was weighed and found to be 3.9 kilograms when its last recorded weight was 4.7 kilograms.
Miss Lindsay added that the dog showed symptoms of chronic heart failure and respiratory issues.
The dog was given antibiotics and pain relief for dental and joint pain.
It was stated that the dog was coughing and was unable to jump.
The chihuahua was also not registered with a vet, and it was likely suffering from its issues for two to three months.
Stewart was later interviewed when she reiterated that her sister was looking after the animals.
Stewart’s sister was also quizzed, and she denied being asked to care for the pets and had not previously cared for them.
It was revealed that Tasha has since died due to “the condition the pet was found in.”
Umar Hussain, defending, told the sentencing that her client had picked up ownership of two cats eight months ago.
The lawyer added: “The complaints on all occasions have come from a particular neighbour.
“The same inspector has come out and found the condition of the house and the animals to be to his content and has left.
“My client’s position is that this has been a recurring theme through the years.
“They have come out before, and there were no concerns, and they have been content; however, on this occasion, this was not the case.”
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