A horror couple has been convicted of animal cruelty after allowing their elderly Labrador to suffer so badly that she had to be put down.
Michelle Powell, 38, and her husband, Daniel Powell, 42, have now been banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
Concerns had been raised by locals.
RSPCA Inspector Jo Daniel was shocked when she first saw Daisy after visiting the couple’s home in Bridgwater, Somerset.
She found Daisy with a large neck wound and numerous untreated health problems.
She said: “There was no reply, and the blinds were drawn.
“I was aware that we had not received a response to the previous notice we had left requesting contact, so I persisted with knocking, and the door was eventually opened. I introduced myself and explained the reason for my visit.
“I was allowed inside the property.
“I was shown to the sofa in the living room, where I saw an adult female cream Labrador-type dog.
“I was advised that the dog was called Daisy and she was 11 years old.
“She was lying on the sofa and was very subdued.
“She did not respond to me until I stroked her.
“Daisy had a large, obvious wound on her left side of her neck, which had a thick yellow discharge.
“The fur around the wound was discoloured, as was the fur on her forelegs.
She was very thin, with her ribs and body prominences obvious and easily felt, as reported by Need To Know.
“Her left eye appeared sore and had a purulent discharge.
“The eyelashes appeared to be in contact with the eyeball and were causing irritation and watering.
“Her ears were dirty, with the left one appearing infected with a swelling behind it.”
Inspector Daniel also noted that Daisy’s nails were very overgrown, and her teeth were heavily tartarized, and she had a mammary tumour and a hard mass behind her left ear.
“The dog was very thin, with prominent ribs and body,” she added.
The couple said her neck wound had been present for around a year and that she had not seen a vet for around three years.
Daisy was taken into the care of the RSPCA and was rushed for urgent veterinary treatment.
But due to the severity of her injuries, she was put to sleep after two days in the hospital.
The vet, who examined Daisy, said in their report: “Clinical problems found in Daisy’s examination were all chronic problems which progressed with severity over time.
“The mass in the ear canal would cause ongoing discomfort, pain and itchiness. Entropion is a painful condition due to the eyelashes rubbing on the cornea.
“Poor body condition is suspected to be caused by mouth pain and not being able to open the mouth to eat properly.
“Overgrown nails will affect paw placement and cause mobility pain when severely overgrown, like they were in Daisy’s case.
“The wound on her neck and face was very thickened, which suggests it was a chronic wound.
“In my opinion, due to the above conditions being neglected for a long period of time, the pain and discomfort they were causing and the intensive care that would have been required to treat these conditions, Daisy was suffering unnecessarily and should have been presented to a veterinary professional much sooner.
“The suffering that was caused by the neglect of the owner was preventable; there were different options available for treatment, for palliative care, like pain relief, to ensure Daisy was not suffering in pain.
“Her conditions would have been obvious to any reasonable person, and any reasonable person responsible for Daisy would have sought prompt veterinary treatment.”
The Powells were both given a 12-month custodial sentence, suspended for one year.
They were also ordered to do 10 days of ‘rehab’ and pay costs of £250 each, and given a 10-year animal ban, which they can appeal after seven years.
Inspector Daniel added: “Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive the care and treatment they need when they need it.
“Pets are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy.”
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