Fine after starving pets saved from abandoned home

An RSPCA inspector looked through a window and saw a cat and dog in terrible condition

A woman has been banned from keeping animals for a decade after leaving a pug dog and a cat in an abandoned house without food or water.

Samantha Forrester, had also previously been responsible for another pug, a male called Bruno, which had to be put down by a vet due to its severely emaciated state, a court heard.

The 33-year-old from Blackpool, pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to ensure the needs of an animal at Lancaster Magistrates' Court.

She was fined £135 and sentenced to a 12-month community order after a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.

The animal protection charity said it received a tip-off that a pet had been abandoned in Forrester's former home in Lodore Road

RSPCA animal rescue officer Kelly Nix, who went to the house on 8 June 2024, said in a statement she looked through a rear window and saw a cat and a female pug with her "head hung low" and her spine and ribs clearly visible.

Ms Nix said: "She was so weak that she struggled to stand as her back legs were wobbly. The cat was very vocal and also underweight.

"There was no bed for the animals and empty, dry bowls containing no food or water. There was animal faeces and a strong smell of urine."

Princess the pug was so emaciated she struggled to stand up

Ms Nix contacted Lancashire Police who helped her gain access to the house and found the pug, called Princess, and the cat, called Narla, had been living with no access to food and water in a house strewn with rubbish and faeces.

Both animals were seized by the police under the Animal Welfare Act.

An investigation revealed that in March that year, the male pug, Bruno, had been taken to a local vet in a "collapsed and emaciated state" and "covered in fleas".

The vet who had examined Bruno described him as "really, really pale and severely dehydrated" and "near to death", with such a severe infestation of fleas that his fur had fallen out.

He was put down to avoid further suffering, the RSPCA said.

Following the sentencing, RSPCA Chief Inspector Susie Micallef said: "These animals endured prolonged and wholly preventable suffering due to their basic needs not being met.

"Owning a pet is a responsibility for their entire life, and when you can't meet their welfare needs, it's vital to seek help before it's too late."

Princess and Narla have since made good recoveries in RSPCA care and will be rehomed.