Cruel woman starved dog, Scooby, until he was 'days from death'

A three-year-old dog was found in a horrendous condition with "every single bone protruding from beneath his skin" after being starved by his owner. Scooby the lurcher was days away from dying when he was rescued.

The RSPCA was alerted to the dog's condition by a concerned member of the public. Inspector Lisa Lupson attended the address on Kingsway, Prescot, on February 6 this year, where she found Scooby emaciated and "desperately hungry".

At Liverpool Magistrates Court last week, November 12, she said: “Inside a utility area that was off the kitchen I saw a tan coloured lurcher type dog curled up on a dirty cushion. I was informed the dog was called Scooby. I was shocked by his bodily condition. He was emaciated with every single bone protruding from beneath his skin. Pressure sores were visible on his legs and his eyes appeared sunken and contained slight discharge. His tail was missing fur and appeared sore.”

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The court heard the small space in which Scooby was being kept contained three empty bowls. As the dog went into the kitchen he immediately approached the sink and the inspector watched as he drank eagerly from the tap.

Owner Louise Danher, 31, claimed she fed the dog and showed the inspector a small amount of dried food, suitable for small dogs only, and two tins of meat. She said Scooby had always struggled with his weight and admitted she was not registered with a vet and had never seen one.

Scooby was taken for immediate veterinary care where he "readily ate food and appeared desperately hungry". He also drank vigorously, the RSPCA said.

A vet who examined Scooby gave him a body condition score of one out of nine. She said he had no discernible body fat, and obvious loss of muscle mass and his ribs, back and pelvic bones were all evident from a distance. Magistrates were told he was dehydrated and had sunken eyes, one of which had a cloudy discharge, and there were multiple pressure sores on his back, tail and right ankle.

The vet said: “There were no pathological reasons found on the clinical examination or bloods to account for this poor condition, therefore it is likely due to negative energy balance through not receiving enough food. Being under conditioned will have caused Scooby to suffer unnecessarily. He will have been weak and lethargic and this will have caused him to spend a long time recumbent. This is evidenced by the pressure sores noted.

“This will have affected his everyday life, ability to ambulate, to obtain food and water or play. This loss of condition has occurred over a minimum period of two weeks, however it is likely that this could have been longer. Regardless of the cause of the poor body condition and pressure sores and whether treatable or not, veterinary treatment should have been sought much earlier in this case.”

Despite this, Danher claimed she was a "responsible" pet owner. She told the RSPCA that Scooby was "fine in himself" and that, apart from his weight, everything about him was fine.

She admitted failing to seek proper care for Scooby or investigate the cause of his poor body condition and weight loss, and was was banned from keeping animals for ten years. She was also ordered to carry out 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Meanwhile, Scooby was seized by police and placed into the care of the RSPCA's Wirral & Chester Branch animal centre in Wallasey, where he has almost doubled in weight - and is hoping to find a loving new home in time for Christmas.

Inspector Lupson said: “This was a very sad and upsetting case of neglect. Scooby was one of the thinnest dogs that I had ever seen that was still standing. I’m so pleased we got to him in time and he’s made a full recovery thanks to the staff at our wonderful centre in Wallasey. He really deserves to find his forever home and live a fantastic life after the terrible ordeal he went through.”

Animal centre manager Kay Hawthorn said: “Scooby was skeletal when he arrived, he was so weak and listless that we weren’t sure whether he was going to make it. The vet said it was likely he would have died of starvation within a couple of days if he hadn’t been found.

“He now weighs almost 38kg and is a larger than life character who’s great company. He has a real zest for life and his transformation has been heartening to see. Being a lurcher he loves to run, so he’ll need a home with a good amount of space and new owners who are willing to give him lots of exercise and mental stimulation to keep him happy and occupied.

“We’d love to see Scooby settled in his own home in time for Christmas and we’d appeal to anyone who thinks they can offer him the right home to get in touch.”

To apply to adopt Scooby, visit his rehoming page on the RSPCA’s Wirral & Chester Branch website. A Staffordshire bull terrier called Bruce was also signed over by Danher, and is also looking for a new home.