In 2024, the Offender Database recorded that then 32-year-old Samantha Stockdale—formerly of Heritage Way, Fraserburgh, and now residing on Holland Street, Aberdeen—was convicted of one of the worst cases of “extreme neglect” ever seen by the Scottish SPCA. The investigation established that Stockdale abandoned her two dogs, a six-year-old German Shepherd named Max and a four-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Marshmallow, in a squalid flat for six weeks. The prosecution reported at Peterhead Sheriff Court that the animals were left to fend for themselves without access to food or water.
The investigation established that when police forced entry into the property on 25 June 2024 for an unrelated matter, they found the home in a state of “abhorrent” disarray. The prosecution reported that the floors were covered in rubbish, broken glass, plywood, and “faeces and urine in almost every room.” The dogs had been reduced to chewing through empty food packets and drinking water from a toilet bowl to survive the prolonged period of serial animal abuse and starvation.
JUDICIAL FINDINGS AND SENTENCING
The court reported that vets who treated the rescued animals concluded the dogs had endured at least six weeks of inadequate nutrition and extreme distress. The investigation established that the owner would have been “fully aware” of their suffering due to their desperate behaviour around food. The prosecution reported that Stockdale showed “very little regard” for the animals’ welfare and compounded her strikes against human decency by repeatedly failing to attend court hearings, eventually appearing from custody to face justice.
Judge-led proceedings at Peterhead Sheriff Court concluded in 2026. For her actions in Fraserburgh and the nature of the extreme neglect reported, Stockdale was handed a five-year ban on keeping or owning any animals. Sheriff Robert McDonald also placed her under the supervision of the social work department for one year. The Scottish SPCA welcomed the ban but highlighted the urgent need for a National Animal Offenders Register to track repeat offenders like Stockdale who move between areas such as Fraserburgh and Aberdeen.
STATUS AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS
Based on the judicial orders issued in 2026:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Causing unnecessary suffering to animals).
- Custodial Status: NON-CUSTODIAL (In 2026, 1 year social work supervision).
- Animal Ownership Ban: Statutory disqualification active until 2031.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Peterhead Sheriff Court; investigated by Police Scotland and the Scottish SPCA.
- Criminal Record: Abandoned a German Shepherd and a Staffie for 6 weeks; Forced animals to drink from a toilet to survive; Left dogs in a flat covered in faeces and broken glass; Repeatedly breached court bail by failing to appear.
- Origin: Heritage Way, Fraserburgh (Currently residing on Holland Street, Aberdeen).
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
Stockdale is managed under the statutory requirements of the social work department in Aberdeen. Due to the nature of her behaviour—specifically the “total disgusting” neglect of two large breed dogs and her history of ignoring court mandates—she is a priority for supervision to ensure no further animals are brought into her care. Authorities reported that the 2026 conviction ensures Stockdale is flagged within animal welfare databases, although the Scottish SPCA continues to advocate for a more robust national register to prevent her from obtaining animals undetected.
The investigation established that Stockdale’s behaviour identifies an individual who prioritised her own interests over the survival of defenceless pets. Any failure by Stockdale to adhere to her one-year supervision order or her five-year animal ban in Aberdeen, Fraserburgh, or elsewhere will result in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing safety of animals from a woman who has violated the principles of human decency and compassion.
QUESTION – Given that the Scottish SPCA highlighted there is currently “No System to Monitor Disqualification Orders,” do you believe the law should legally mandate that anyone banned from keeping animals must submit to unannounced “Welfare Inspections” of their home by police every six months?
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