Woman imprisoned after springer spaniel abandoned in Neath property found dead

Content warning: Distressing content and imagery follows

The owner of an emaciated springer spaniel found dead in a south Wales property has been sent to prison and handed a lifetime ban on keeping animals.

Areo’s body was found by South Wales Police and the RSPCA on 5 December last year. All his bones were visible and he was in an “extremely emaciated” body condition. A vet said Areo had “one of the worst body conditions” they had ever seen.

His owner, Jessica Catherine Louise Edwards of Fairyland, Neath, appeared at Swansea Magistrates Court on 1 July for trial and was found guilty of two offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

Edwards caused unnecessary suffering to Areo after failing to provide him adequate food and water.

She was also found to have failed to ensure his needs were met. (full offence below)

She was sentenced on Tuesday (12 August) at Swansea Magistrates Court and given a custodial sentence of 26 weeks – for charge one she was handed 26 weeks in prison and for charge two she was also handed 26 weeks – which will run concurrently.

Edwards was disqualified from keeping animals for life, and was ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge.

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Foul smell

In mitigation it was heard that she accepted it was an appalling case and she should have known better.

In a witness statement, provided to the court, RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector (DCI) Gemma Cooper, said police were given permission to enter the property by Edwards.

She said as the door was opened there was a foul smell “emanating” from the property and she could see a dead dog laying underneath a hi-vis jacket in the kitchen.

As the jacket was lifted off she found a liver and white, springer spaniel in an “extremely emaciated body condition”.

DCI Cooper added: “All of his bones were visible. I do not believe I have ever seen such a skinny dog in nearly 15 years as an RSPCA Inspector.”

The body was seized by police so that the RSPCA could continue the investigation. The following day the body was examined by a vet.

In a witness statement the vet said that the body “showed obvious severe muscle mass loss with a body condition score of one out of nine”. (four and five out of nine being normal)

Maggots

He added: “There was almost no muscle mass left on this body – being one of the worst body conditions I have seen. There were a large number of flies with the body and maggots in various body openings particularly on the underneath.

“To become emaciated to this level, assuming he was at normal weight initially, would take about three months on water only with no food at all, suffering from severe hunger during that whole period.”

Following sentencing, DCI Cooper said: “This is a heartbreaking case. Poor Areo was left all alone and would have experienced such suffering and hunger.

“It is never acceptable to abandon any animal – and our hearts go out to Areo.”