A lady has received a lifetime ban on owning pets due to the severe neglect of her dog. The condition of her terrier, Poppy, was so distressing that it led a seasoned RSPCA inspector to retire after witnessing the extent of the suffering. When authorities discovered Poppy in Anne Allport’s Middlesbrough residence, the terrier was nothing but skin and bones, barely clinging to life while huddled in a blanket infested with fleas.
The court at Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard that the property was layered with feces and urine, described as potentially the most appalling house encountered. The 15-year-old terrier, blind, emaciated, and barely mobile, had to be euthanized by vets.
Ian Smith, an RSPCA inspector with three decades of experience, expressed, “After 30 years in this profession, this particular case led me to retire.”
“In this day and age, it’s truly disheartening to witness the neglect that led a dog to such a state while nothing was done,” stated the magistrate.
Allport, in tears, expressed her shame to the bench, which led magistrates to spare her from prison.
The distress came to light when police responded to a disturbance reported by neighbors at her Costa Street residence. Inside the “disgusting” home, officers found Poppy, the dog, and Jasper, a ginger shorthaired cat, with the feline’s skin covered in crusts and flea bites.
She’s also moved from her filthy old home to a new property in Linthorpe Road.
And when asked if she had anything to add, weeping Allport said: “I’m ashamed of myself – I shouldn’t have let it get like that.”
Magistrates sentenced her to 16 weeks in jail, but suspended it for a year.
She won’t be able to appeal her lifetime ban on keeping animals for a decade.
And Mr Smith added: “She deserved her sentence of a lifetime ban.”
