A former veterinary nurse was this week banned from keeping, owning, transporting and working with any animals for five years, after pleading guilty to one count of failing to ensure the animal’s needs were met, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Ann Marie Nash, of Chester Road, Erdington – who admitted the charge at an earlier hearing -received 12 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months, 100 hours’ community service and a 12 month supervision order. She was also ordered to pay £200 court costs and an £80 victim’s surcharge, at Birmingham Crown Court.
Birmingham City Council brought the case after a member of the public found a female British bulldog, called Martha, collapsed in an emaciated state on Chester Road on 10 July 2013.
Martha was immediately examined by a veterinary surgeon who found she had a football-size swelling in her abdomen, thought to be a tumour, and several claws so overgrown they were piercing her paws. Martha was also emaciated – she had a body score of 1.5 out of a possible 5 – and as a result, she was put down on welfare grounds.
As Martha was micro chipped, officers were able to trace her original owner who had given her to a dog rescue charity – BulliesSOS, where Nash acquired her pet, and attested that Martha was in excellent health when she was given to Nash.
When interviewed, Nash maintained she had rehomed the dog through a pets website two weeks before Martha was found by a neighbour, but failed to provide details of the new owner’s name and address.
Jacqui Kennedy, director of regulation and enforcement for Birmingham City Council, said: “This sad case highlights how important it is for people to look after their pets and that they owe them a duty of care.
“While many pet owners love their animals and take good care of them, ensuring they are well fed and maintained, there are some who do not understand their responsibility, and unfortunately our dog wardens are seeing more of these kinds of cases.
“This is why it’s so important to highlight what can happen to the owner, as well as their pet, if they are neglected or disowned, and the judge was very clear that Ms Nash will go to prison if she breaks the terms of her sentence.”
