A Bristol woman whose dog starved as he was unable to eat because of a serious illness has been banned from keeping animals for 15 years. Yogi had a non-healing wound and mass lesion that had caused the destruction of tissue within his mouth and nose.
He was left to gradually starve without receiving care. Tanya Muriel Margaret Sanderson, 39, of Creswicke Road, Bristol, pleaded guilty to causing an animal to suffer, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
A concerned caller contacted the RSPCA about his welfare after they’d seen the emaciated eight-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier. This prompted a visit from RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Simon Coombs on September 9, 2024.
Simon described seeing Yogi in Tanya’s home before rushing him to a vet. He said: “Yogi was in a very poor body condition and seemed very lethargic.
"His ribs, hips, spine and skull were very prominent. There also appeared to be no muscle tone and there was also a hole in his nose to the left hand side.
"[Tanya] Sanderson stated that Yogi had been like this for a few weeks and that she knew that he was very unwell.” Sadly Yogi was put to sleep by the vet, with Tanya’s consent, because of the severity of his condition and grave prognosis.
Post mortem examination found an area of damage affecting the left side of the upper jaw and extending into the nose. This damaged area includes a growth and the gums and the upper and front parts of the left upper jaw bone had been completely destroyed.
There was an open wound that connected this damaged area over the bridge of the nose to the right side of the upper jaw. Within this severely damaged area, the roots of the teeth were visible because the surrounding bone and gum have been lost.
It was stated that Yogi had been suffering in excess of three months and possibly even in excess of six months. In their report, the vet said: “Yogi’s emaciation displays a failure to meet his freedom from hunger or thirst.
"His chronic dental disease and maxillary and nasal bone destruction displays a failure to meet his freedom from pain, injury or disease. This shows a clear neglect of appropriate provision of his care.”
Alongside the 15-year-long animal disqualification order, which she can not appeal for 10 years, she was also sentenced to 21 weeks custody, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to 30 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) Days when she appeared at Bristol Magistrates Court on April 3. Tanya was arrested and appeared on warrant after failing to attend an earlier hearing.
In mitigation, it was said she had struggled with addiction and had experienced issues with housing but has since taken steps to turn her life around. Her efforts to help herself were taken into account during sentencing, which resulted in a suspended sentence, rather than immediate custody.
RSPCA Inspector Simon Coombs said: “Dogs feel pain and suffering just like we do and always deserve to be shown kindness and compassion. Please never ignore an animal in desperate need of help and veterinary care.
"No animal should suffer like this. If any pet owner is struggling to care for their animal we’d encourage them to reach out to a local charity or organisation who can help.”
