Vanessa Anne Kentfield, of Manor Park, London, has been disqualified from keeping animals following an RSPCA investigation into the prolonged starvation and death of her three-year-old pet dog, Rubic.
The investigation was launched after veterinary staff at the New Cross PDSA Pet Hospital raised an emergency alert on 27 November 2025, when Kentfield brought the deceased dog to the clinic.
Upon arrival, clinicians found Rubic was already dead. A subsequent clinical examination confirmed that the three-year-old dog weighed just 21kg (46lb)—less than half the expected healthy body weight for his size.
The attending veterinary surgeon assigned Rubic a body condition score of one out of five, the absolute lowest score possible.
The veterinary medical records noted: “The bones of his head, thorax, spine, limbs and pelvis were easily visible”, confirming an entire absence of muscle mass or subcutaneous body fat.
The court heard this was not the first occasion veterinary practitioners had encountered Rubic in an emaciated state. In August 2024, the dog had been presented at a clinic with an untreated neck wound, at which point Kentfield claimed an acquaintance had been looking after him. Although his health temporarily stabilised, he remained underweight, and Kentfield failed to attend scheduled clinical follow-up appointments. More than a year elapsed before Rubic was brought back to the hospital, deceased.
A veterinary pathologist concluded that Rubic had been subjected to severe, prolonged suffering over an extended period. The presence of multiple pressure sores indicated that the dog had spent long periods recumbent on hard surfaces with prominent bones, while severely overgrown nails pointed to a chronic lack of exercise or movement. The expert concluded that excruciating hunger would have occupied “almost every waking moment” of the dog’s life.
Kentfield provided no explanation to investigators regarding Rubic’s fatal physical deterioration.
Appearing at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on 14 September, Kentfield pleaded guilty to an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.
The magistrates imposed a disqualification order banning Kentfield from keeping any animals until further order, with a statutory condition preventing her from applying to have the ban removed for at least five years. She was additionally ordered to pay £300 in prosecution costs.
Image – Anonymous Artist Impression
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