A WOMAN left her pet rabbit to starve to death after "her world collapsed", a court head. Theresa Telford, 41, has been banned from owning animals for 15 years after the emaciated pet was found dead in its hutch by a neighbour.
Telford, of Rockley Court in Anlaby, pleaded guilty to three charges of animal cruelty at Beverley Magistrates Court at an earlier hearing.
These included failing to provide it with a suitable environment or diet and failing to protect it from pain, injury, suffering and disease, which led to its death.
Defending Telford, Laura Wicken said her client had stopped looking after the rabbit due to personal circumstances, although these were not explained in detail.
Telford, who has a daughter, nodded as District Judge Fred Rutherford said to Ms Wicken: "I appreciate that at or around the time this incident occurred, your client's whole world had collapsed around her.
"Nevertheless, during the course of that time, she still had charge of this poor animal that was left to die.
"It has all the aggravating features that relate to being served with a custodial sentence.
"However, reading what had happened to her and in the circumstances in which the matter came about, when asked the question whether a sentence should be served immediately, I find it should not."
Phillip Brown, prosecuting for the RSPCA, described how the rabbit was discovered outside the house in its hutch, which appeared to have not been cleaned out for a long time.
He said: "A neighbour found the rabbit dead in its cage outside the property.
"It was subsequently examined by a vet, who said it was emaciated."
Judge Rutherford said: "It starved to death? Yes, there was no evidence of food or water and it was in very dirty conditions," said Mr Brown.
Ms Wicken told the court Telford regretted what had happened to the pet and that she does not own any other animals and does not intend to in the future.
"There is genuine remorse for what happened," she said.
"She doesn't have any animals at the moment and doesn't intend to either. She has a daughter to look after."
The case was adjourned six times following the offence, which occurred between April 17 and May 1, this year.
Judge Rutherford also sentenced Telford to 12 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months and ordered her to pay £500 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.
He said: "Not withstanding her pitiful situation at the time, I feel there should be a disqualification for keeping animals for some period of time, as well as a sentence.
"I am not going to repeat myself, you look like you agree with me in respect to the points raised.
"Normally, you would go straight to prison, but because of what I have read about what was going on in your life at the time, which was not of your making, it would be cruel in itself to send you to prison."
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