A cruel couple who stuffed their elderly dog into a plastic bag and dumped her in a canal have escaped jail after the pet later had to be put down.
Maddie, an elderly terrier-type dog, was rescued after a member of the public spotted a bin liner moving in the water and jumped in to save her.
The dog survived the horrifying ordeal but her condition continued to deteriorate and vets later made the heartbreaking decision to put her to sleep to prevent further suffering.
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A dog walker witnessed Terrence and Sadie Boyd throwing a black bin liner into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in August last year, as reported by Need To Know.
When challenged, the pair claimed the bag contained clothes.
But moments later the bag began moving and Maddie’s head emerged, prompting a member of the public to enter the water in a desperate bid to rescue her.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and firefighters pulled Maddie from the canal before police took her to a veterinary practice for urgent treatment.
It was later discovered that Maddie was microchipped to Sadie Boyd’s home address.
The couple were arrested later that day and seven underweight kittens were removed from their property amid welfare concerns.
The vet who treated Maddie said: “Maddie was hypothermic, with a temperature of 33.2°C.
“She was severely malnourished, with significant muscle atrophy.”
The vet also found she was suffering from severe dental disease and had multiple puncture wounds to her neck.
Despite treatment, Maddie’s condition failed to improve.
She struggled to walk and developed abnormal neurological symptoms before vets made the decision to end her suffering.
The seven kittens removed from the property were also found to be malnourished, with some soaked in urine.
Four were hypothermic and required warming treatment.
One female kitten, weighing just 735 grams, later had to be put to sleep on welfare grounds after becoming critically ill.
CCTV obtained by RSPCA chief inspector Kelly Nix showed the couple walking along Walter Street carrying a black bag before heading towards the canal.
Further footage showed them leaving the area and then running away.
During interviews with the RSPCA, both denied being at the canal, while Terrence Boyd claimed there could be “hundreds of people” wearing similar clothing.
On 24 June, Terrence Boyd, 34, and Sadie Boyd, 32, were sentenced to eight weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, at Burnley Magistrates’ Court.
The pair, of Walter Street, Brierfield, Lancashire, had admitted two Animal Welfare Act offences relating to Maddie, seven kittens and a corn snake.
The court heard their home was in a filthy condition, with large piles of animal faeces upstairs and mice running around the kitchen.
Magistrates also ordered them to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay a victim surcharge of £154 each.
They were banned from keeping animals and cannot apply to have the ban lifted for five years.
Speaking after sentencing, RSPCA chief inspector Kelly Nix said: “What happened to Maddie was horrifying and this incident was understandably the cause of great distress to people who were at the scene, the emergency services and the wider local community.
“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who came together and showed nothing but kindness towards Maddie.
“It was heartbreaking that Maddie’s condition deteriorated and she ultimately could not be saved.”
The surviving kittens have since been rehomed by the RSPCA, while the corn snake was handed into the care of an exotic animal specialist.
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