Woman banned from owning animals after dog starved to death

A woman who admitted letting her Staffordshire Bull Terrier starve to death has been banned from keep animals for life.

Theresa McGahey (35), of Fort Street in Belfast, was also handed a conditional discharge for causing unneccesary suffering to the dog.

Belfast Crown Court heard the accused had “significant difficulties looking after herself, never mind animals”.

When the dog’s remains were found on March 3rd, 2017, the animal weighed just 7kg. A vet later said ulcers were found in the dog’s stomach, which compounded with starvation would have led to a “painful and miserable” death.

The animal was found after McGahey called the city council’s cleansing department to ask that a dead dog be removed from the rear of her property.

‘Extremely skinny’

Prosecuting barrister Michael Chambers said McGahey told animal welfare officer her dog had been poisoned. The officer found the dead animal and another “extremely skinny” Staffordshire Bull Terrier lying on top of the carcass.

McGahey claimed she had been feeding the dog but that it had been unwell for a couple of days. She said she had no way to take the dog to a vet and was under threat and could not leave her house.

She said she was responsible for the dead dog but her partner — who is now deceased — took care of the second dog, which was taken by the council.

Mr Chambers said that the deceased animal should have weighed around 17kg, but was only 7kg when discovered. He said the dog did not have any diseases, and that death was a result of “starvation”.

Defence barrister Declan Quinn said McGahey was a woman with personal limitations who was diagnosed with having special needs in her teens. He said McGahey would adhere to a lifetime ban on keeping animals.

Judge Gordon Kerr said that given her own incapabilities, McGahey was not suitable to own dogs, or any other animals, and that a breach of the ban could result in a prison sentence.