A WOMAN has been given a lifetime ban on keeping animals after she left her dog to starve to death in the downstairs toilet of her house.

Samantha Orange, 44, of Dent Drive, Wakefield, admitted three animal welfare charges after she left her male German Shepherd-cross dog called Kuma to starve for at least two weeks, Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court heard last week.

The hearing was told how a family member found Kuma in a collapsed state in the downstairs toilet where he had been living and took the dog for treatment on December 31 last year.

The vet decided the pet was so emaciated and ill that the kindest thing to do was to put him to sleep to end his suffering. The vet reported the matter to the RSPCA and inspector Kris Walker was sent to investigate.

He observed that Kuma was very underweight, with his spine, ribs, pelvis and hips all prominent and he smelled strongly of faeces and ammonia so organised a post mortem.

The vet who examined Kuma’s emaciated body said he weighed 16kg when a dog of that breed would normally be almost double that.

She gave him a body score of one out of nine, with one being the lowest - which means that the ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and all bony prominences were visible from a distance,

In a statement the vet said: “There was no discernible body fat, and there was an obvious loss of muscle mass. Kuma was wearing a collar which was several sizes too large, suggesting that he

had been at a healthy weight when the collar was fitted and suggests a rapid weight loss.

“The body was covered in dried faeces, most notably under the nails, which were severely overgrown by about half an inch,suggesting that Kuma was not frequently walked for an extended period. Live fleas and a large amount of flea ‘dirt’ were observed through the coat, which was matted.

“Kuma’s ears were very waxy, eyes were sunken and the ocular secretions were thick and “gummy” suggesting that the dog was severely dehydrated, these symptoms occur when at least 10% of total body water has been lost.”

The vet concluded that she believed Kuma had been left to starve for two to three weeks.

Mr Walker added: “There is never an excuse not to feed a pet and anyone who is struggling can seek help from many animal welfare charities.”

As well as the ban on keeping animals Orange was also ordered to carry out 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days as part of a 12-month community order. She was also ordered to pay £165 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

The charges Orange admitted were causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, failing to take steps to supervise another person to provide adequate nutrition for an animal, and not taking reasonable steps to ensure the needs of animal, including a suitable environment, nutrition, veterinary attention over dental disease, adequate supply of fresh drinking water and parasitic control.

The charges relate to a three week period between December 10, 2020 and December 31, 2020.