A Romanian woman and Reading Animal Abuser, Florentina Radu, has been prohibited from owning dogs for five years due to her failure to give veterinary care and her abuse of a severely ill dog, which was subsequently euthanised.
Florentina Radu, residing on Zinzan Street in Reading, admitted guilt to two violations of animal welfare laws, subsequent to an inquiry and legal action initiated by the RSPCA.
On January 5, an inspector from the animal charity visited Florentina Radu’s residence in response to a report concerning her emaciated and collapsed German shepherd, Thor.
Florentina Radu was informed of the legal obligation to avert animal suffering and received a notice mandating her to take Thor to a veterinarian within 24 hours.
The subsequent day, the charity contacted Florentina Radu to enquire about Thor and to provide additional veterinary support, which Radu declined, expressing her desire to attempt to improve Thor’s condition independently.
Efforts to reach Florentina Radu regarding concerns for Thor were disregarded, resulting in the Police seizing Thor, who was subsequently transferred to a veterinarian for assessment and treatment.
The veterinarian, who assessed Thor, recounted the moment they first encountered him.
They said: “Thor was brought to the practice on January 8 by the RSPCA officers. He was carried into the practice on a stretcher. He did not try to stand, or lift his head, he urinated and defecated whilst recumbent.
“He had a low body condition score and sunken eyes. Multiple skin sores were noted, the most extensive on his shoulders. He was unable to lift his head or stand. When held up, knuckling was noted on his right fore leg. Deep pain and a withdrawal were present. Nails were all overgrown by approximately 1cm, the hair on the pads of his feet between his toes was also long.”
Despite the efforts of veterinary teams, Thor’s condition deteriorated and he was put to sleep with Radu’s consent on January 16.
RSPCA Inspector Sandy Barlow, who helped Thor to the vet after he was seized by police, said in a witness statement: “When I first saw Thor, he was very thin, with his skull, backbone, hips and ribs all prominent. He was laid down on his side and did not stand up when we entered the room.”
She later added: “It’s essential every owner shows kindness to every animal by ensuring the needs of those in their care are met. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, animal owners and keepers are under a legal duty of care for the animals which they are responsible for, including making sure they receive appropriate vet care when they desperately need help.
“While Thor had seen a vet on 1 January, Florentina Radu’s slowness to act in response to the dog’s poor bodily condition and weight loss had caused unnecessary suffering for one month. That suffering continued later when failing to return for further vet care given the dog’s emaciated and collapsed condition.”
Alongside the five year disqualification from keeping dogs, Florentina Radu was also sentenced to a 12 month community order with 100 hours unpaid work.
She was also ordered to pay £400 costs and a victim surcharge of £114 when she appeared at Reading Magistrates Court for sentencing
No-one asked what the hell she was doing in the UK.
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