A WOMAN has been banned from keeping dogs after allowing her pet to starve to death.
Rebecca Cawthra said she bought Minnie from a man selling dogs out of the back of a van in Holderness Road, east Hull, a few months before she died.
Minnie, a chihuahua, had to be put to sleep because she was so malnourished.
Veterinary surgeons believe she was suffering for at least three weeks before Cawthra, 20, took her to the PDSA hospital.
RSPCA inspector Hannah Bryer said: "Cases like this, where animals have died as a result of ignorance, are very difficult to deal with.
"Sadly, there is no hiding from the fact that, had Minnie seen a vet earlier, her suffering and death may have been prevented.
"She was in a severely underweight condition and was collapsed and unresponsive.
"Her spine, ribs and hips were protruding. The vets informed me that it was in her best interests to be put to sleep and this was done."
A post-mortem examination revealed Minnie had no underlying health problems and was emaciated through malnutrition.
Cawthra, of Delius Close, west Hull, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Minnie by not seeking veterinary care when she appeared at Hull Magistrates' Court.
Miss Bryer said: "When interviewed, Rebecca Cawthra stated she did not take her to the PDSA promptly when she began losing weight.
"Cawthra described Minnie as becoming less playful as she lost weight. She had noticed Minnie had difficulty walking and that her head appeared too big for her body.
"When Cawthra finally took Minnie to the vets she was extremely thin and dehydrated, she was collapsed and had to be placed on a drip but she was unresponsive to treatment and euthanasia was the only viable option."
Cawthra was sentenced to a 12-month community order, with a six-month drug rehabilitation order and must pay £250 costs.
She was disqualified from keeping dogs for ten years.
Miss Bryer said: "Animals rely on us to make the right decisions to ensure their welfare is secured. If in doubt at all about an animals' health or well being you should consult a vet.
"The PDSA Pet Aid Hospital provides free veterinary care for people on certain benefits, so it astounding that some people with access to this service still fail to take their animals to the vet at the first sign of illness or injury."
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