Woman who locked her cats and dog in filthy house and left them to die SPARED jail

"They would have suffered considerably whilst locked in that house on their own.”

A woman who left her helpless dog and cat to die in 'horrendous' conditions has escaped a jail term.

Elisha Gordon abandoned her four cats and shar pei dog inside a house in Wythenshawe. They were left to suffer with no care, food or water for more than five days, according to the RSPCA.

The animal welfare charity was alerted after a member of the public raised the alarm. Sadly, the dog and one of the cats was found dead inside the filthy house.

***WARNING: This article contains content some may find distressing***

The dog, who was severely underweight, had been locked in a room on its own. The black and white cat was sadly found dead in an upstairs bedroom, while the RSPCA officer could 'feel the other cats ribs'.

A court heard the animals would have 'suffered considerably'. Gordon, 39, of Stash Grove, Wythenshawe, was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and failing to provide a suitable environment, adequate care and supervision, an appropriate diet and fresh drinking water for her four cats and one dog.

After pleading guilty, she was sentenced to 16 weeks suspended for two years at Manchester Magistrates' Court. The RSPCA said inspector Jessica Araurjo, who investigated, went into the house on June 6 this year.

Chief inspector for Manchester, Nina Small, said: “We were alerted by a member of the public that there could be abandoned pets inside the premises. We attended and became concerned when it became clear that no owner was returning to look after their pets.

"We posted food through the letterbox and contacted Greater Manchester Police for assistance who gave us access to the property."

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The court heard how a vet report stated that the animals had been left alone for at least five days. A post-mortem on the shar pei dog also confirmed that she was in an emaciated body condition weighing just 9kg - when the average weight for a female shar pei dog is around 18-25kg.

There were also signs of serous wastage to her bone marrow, which is an indicator of emaciation. There was no dog food found in her stomach but there were pieces of plastic detected.

It is unknown whether she ate this due to her starvation or whether this caused a blockage and resulted in starvation but the report stated: "Irrespective of the cause of emaciation, it would have been obvious to an observer that this dog was significantly underweight.

"This should have been recognised by the person responsible for her welfare and veterinary advice sought. Failure to do so resulted in her suffering."

The magistrates in the case all agreed that this was a case of 'frightening and horrendous' suffering. Nina added: “This was a horrible and distressing case which resulted in the death of two poor animals and could have so easily been avoided had the owner arranged for alternative care for them.

"This total disregard for their welfare meant that they would have suffered considerably whilst locked in that house on their own.”

Gordon was also banned from keeping animals for five years. She must complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and must pay costs of £154 to be deducted from benefits.

The three surviving cats were taken into the charity’s care for treatment. They have all since been found loving homes.

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