She was also made subject of a community payback order and will be supervised for 12 months.
A Scottish SPCA Inspector attended Stockdale’s property on June 25, 2024, after a concern for the welfare of four-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier Marshmallow and six-year-old German Shepherd Max, were raised with the Scottish SPCA’s Animal Helpline.
Upon entering the property, it was clear the house was extremely unkept, and that both dogs had not been taken care of for a long time.
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A Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “The whole house was in disarray. There were rubbish bags and broken glass littering the floors. The bedroom was cluttered with personal items and cigarette buts – all easily accessible to the dogs. There was several days if not weeks’ worth of faeces and urine throughout the property, the majority of which was loose or diarrhoea. Some of it had already turned mouldy.”
Max and Marshmallow were extremely underweight, with their hips, spine and ribs clearly visible from a distance.
The Scottish SPCA Inspector added: “Their behaviour showed they had had no access to appropriate food or water for a long time. There were empty packets of food across the floor that had been chewed by them, and I found Max drinking from the toilet bowl. They were ravenous when we offered them treats and grabbed at them frantically. It was heart-breaking to see there in such poor conditions.
“There was no bedding or comfortable resting area for the dogs other than a piece of carpet which was also soiled with faeces and urine. Two dog bowls were also seen within this contaminated area and contained no food or water.
“It is one of the worst cases of extreme neglect I have seen in years. It was totally disgusting, abhorrent and heart-wrenching to see that someone could keep animals in those conditions.”
It was then decided it was in the best interest of the dogs to be removed from the property and taken into the care of the Scottish SPCA. They were transported to the society’s Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre in Aberdeen.
They later underwent veterinary examination, which found they had been unnecessarily suffering for over a month. Max’s fur was matted and had dried faeces on it. He was skeletal, with a body score of 1/9. His nails were also overgrown on all four paws, which would have been uncomfortable and painful for him. Marshmallow was also extremely underweight, with a body score of 2/9. Her coat was also soiled with faeces, and she had an infection in both ears for which she was given treatment.
The vet said: “Their owner would have been fully aware that they were hungry because of their behaviour around food. They also would have been fully aware that their food intake was not adequate for them because of their poor body condition.
“In my professional opinion Max and Mallow would have taken six weeks of inadequate nutrition to be in the body condition they were in when I examined them. During this time, they were caused unnecessary suffering as they would have been distressed seeking food all the time.”
