Dog owner who starved German Shepherd to death in house ‘littered with feces’ gets 30 weeks in jail

A man from Grangetown, North Yorkshire, has been jailed after he starved one of his dogs to death while the other one was found in shocking condition. Michael Warren was sentenced after being found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to his two German Shepherds, called Bolt and Panther, in the UK. The two animals were found in the 35-year-old’s home “littered with feces” by Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) inspectors.

According to reports, when RSPCA inspectors responded to the scene, Bolt was already dead while Panther had been starved to near death. Warren was given a jail sentence on Thursday, July 9, at Teesside Crown Court for his terrible neglect of the canines.

An image released by the animal charity showed the appalling condition of the place. The picture showed Bolt dead while Panther, looking agonizingly skinny, was guarding its dead body. It also showed the shocking condition of the flat, described as "squalid" at Teesside Crown Court. Inside the flat, a vile, stained mattress, a sofa ripped to pieces, and dirt on the floor were also found.

A vet reportedly confirmed that Bolt died due to malnutrition, while Panther just weighed 17.5kg, around half the weight of a healthy German Shepherd. In addition, the animal had also suffered hair loss and its body was full of fleas. Prosecutor Stewart Haywood said: "The conditions within the property are described as being appalling”, adding the home was "littered with feces" with "a small quantity of food and water available for both animals".

It has also been said that when Warren questioned about the condition, he showed "very little remorse" and "at one point he got up to make a cup of tea". The man was charged with two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal in his absence as he did not come for his trial at the Magistrates' Court. After being convicted of the charges, Warren was given 30 weeks jail term and disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years. The court ordered the other dog, Panther, to be passed into the care of the RSPCA to ultimately be rehomed.

In another incident, an Ohio man was sentenced after his dog died due to starvation. It has been reported that the two-year-old Doberman pinscher called Lou even ate rocks to survive.

David Neanover was sentenced to jail by Judge Robert Lyons on May 7 on two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to a companion animal over an incident that happened in 2019. Judge Lyons sentenced Neanover to 180 days on one cruelty charge and 90 days on the other. The 36-year-old man, who is from Reily Township, also reportedly deprived the dog of water.

The case came into the light after local police in April 2019 received several anonymous complaints about the abuse of the canine. When dog wardens went to Neanover’s house, they found Lou had no food or water and it was also covered in severe open wounds. The dog was then taken to the Animal Friends Humane Society in Hamilton, where an X-ray was done that showed it had eaten rocks.