Bolton: Starved dog found in box 'ate plastic bag' before death

The dog's starved body was found by the RSPCA in a garden storage box

A starved dog discovered with a plastic bag in its stomach was left to "waste away" until it died, inspectors have found.

The RSPCA retrieved the emaciated body of the bull breed from a storage box in the garden of a house in Bolton.

The owner was given a suspended sentence for causing unnecessary suffering at Wigan Magistrates Court and banned from keeping animals.

RSPCA Inspector Beth Fazackerley said the case was "extremely upsetting".

"Reuben was an elderly dog with deteriorating health who should have received the appropriate care and veterinary support in his twilight years," she said.

"Instead he was left to waste away, to the point of starvation, over a considerable period of time, and then disposed of in the garden and forgotten about."

RSPCA officers discovered the nine-year-old animal's body at the property in Glaister Lane in March 2023 after receiving reports about the dog's condition.

Acrylic nail

Reuben's owner Bethany Butterworth was handed a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and banned from keeping animals for five years.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering by failing to meet her pet's needs.

A post-mortem examination found the dog had a plastic bag and parts of an acrylic nail in its stomach, and had broken ribs and missing teeth.

Ms Fazackerley, who discovered the body with another inspector, said the distressing investigation would "stay with me and my colleague for a long time."

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