Staffordshire bull terrier almost starved to death after owner neglected to feed him

This neglected dog had to be rescued by the RSPCA after his owner left him to starve — believing he was losing weight because he was “stressed”.

These shocking images show how Maxie, a Staffordshire bull terrier, was left so emaciated that he could barely walk, after his owner neglected to feed him.

The dog weighed just 11kg when he was found — way lower than the average weight of 18kg for a dog his size.

When the animal was rescued by an RSPCA inspector he was so weak he stumbled up the stairs to a vet’s practice.

Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court heard the dog was given a low body score of one out of nine and that he was so emaciated that he had no muscles in his legs.

RSPCA inspector Rachel Leafe said: “When I took Maxie to the vet he was so weak. He had to keep stopping while walking because he just could not walk properly.

“He looked like a skeleton with fur. As well as being underweight, he had an overgrown claw which was curling over into his pad.

“It would have been incredibly painful for him.”

Shaun Musson, 25, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the animal at Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court.

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Inspector Leafe said: “Musson said he believed the dog had lost weight because he was stressed as he had gone from being at home all the time to working 40 hours a week.

“But put simply Maxie lost a lot of weight as a result of not being fed properly. He was such a skinny dog and you could see every single bone in his body.”

The court heard that a member of the public contacted the RSPCA after seeing Maxie.

Magistrates disqualified Musson from keeping all animals for 10 years and handed him a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay £300 in costs.

Maxie is now in the RSPCA’s where he has gained weight and now weighs 18kg, and is now ready for re-homing.

Inspector Leafe said: “He is the sweetest dog and he is good as gold.”