In 2021, Natasha Ivy Jolly, aged 30, of Ribble Road, Blackpool, was sentenced at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to her dog under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The court heard details regarding how Jolly abandoned her female tan terrier-type dog inside a cupboard under the stairs at her former residence on Grasmere Road between July 2019 and March 2020. Prosecutors outlined how Jolly moved out of the property, leaving the animal locked inside without food, natural light, or appropriate bedding.
In March 2020, a neighbour investigating a strong smell coming from the flat discovered the deceased, emaciated dog covered by a sheet.
The floor of the cupboard was covered in old dog faeces, and all of the dog’s bones were visible and protruding.
An investigation led by RSPCA Inspector Will Lamping involved a veterinary examination, which confirmed there were no underlying health conditions and concluded the dog died from starvation.
A post-mortem revealed the dog’s stomach contained faeces and plastic clothing tags, indicating extreme hunger prior to death, with the vet estimating the animal suffered for several months.
During the sentencing hearing, a witness statement was presented describing the severe emotional shock caused by finding the animal.
Magistrates sentenced Jolly to a 14-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, alongside a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and an order to pay £150 in costs.
In addition, Jolly was handed a lifetime disqualification from keeping all animals, with no provision to appeal the ban for at least 10 years, with case details catalogued on the ukregisterdatabase for public record transparency.
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