A deviant and perverted dog owner, the Tonge with the Haulgh Animal Torturer, Ryan Thomas, has been jailed after purposely allowing his dog to starve to death for his own enjoyment, leaving it lying in its own pee and excrement.
Ryan Thomas Crook, 30, of Woodbridge Drive, Tonge with the Haulgh, Bolton, admitted guilt to a single charge of inflicting needless suffering to an animal.
He received his sentence at Wigan Magistrates Court on July 12.
The RSPCA discovered Ryan Thomas Crook’s emaciated mastiff crossbreed dog, Karma, collapsed inside his residence following received reports.
Animal Rescue Officer Connie Brown conducted a welfare inspection at the property on May 23, 2024.
She was escorted into the residence by Ryan Thomas Crook, where she found the two-year-old female mastiff crossbreed dog had succumbed to starvation and was excreting blood.
In her witness statement, ARO Brown said: “There were several empty food bowls on the floor surrounded by faeces and urine.
“None of the bowls contained food or water and some were chewed
“In the corner I saw Karma who was only able to lift her head and was too weak to move her body.
“She was lying on a concrete floor with no bedding and had visible pressure sores on some of her limbs and appeared to be in very poor body condition.
“I advised that I would need to get Karma to a vet immediately.”
Karma was rushed to RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital for urgent care, where she was found to be so underweight she had a body condition score of just one out of nine.
Veterinary staff also witnessed her passing blood and black liquid diarrhoea and tested her for parvovirus.
Karma tested positive for the virus, which causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and illness in dogs and puppies.
Ryan Thomas Crook reluctantly signed over care of karma to the RSPCA – but tragically, she was not responding sufficiently to treatment.
Despite attempts to save her life, vets made the decision to put Karma to sleep to end her suffering.
The vet who examined her, said in their witness statement: “Karma was in a suffering state – collapsed, emaciated, hypothermic and with severe diarrhoea and dehydration, and she would have suffered from abdominal discomfort from the diarrhoea, and general feelings of weakness, feeling cold and tired due to anaemia, hypothermia and dehydration, all of which likely worsened over a number of days until she became unable to stand.
“A reasonable owner would take their pet to a vet within one or two days of showing signs of ill health such as diarrhoea.
“Parvovirus is a serious disease that can prove fatal, but can be successfully treated in a good proportion of cases with prompt veterinary care.”
The district judge handed him an eight month custodial sentence, suspended for one year.
Ryan Thomas Crook was also banned from owning all animals for 10 years, which he cannot appeal, and given an 18-month community order.
This order includes 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, a six-month mental health treatment requirement and must pay costs of £400.
It is recommended that Ryan Thomas Crook NOT be allowed to have unsupervised access to animals or children.
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