Mother of three banned from owning pets for life after neglecting bulldog which looked like a 'skeleton'
AUSTRALIA: A mother of three from Queensland has been banned from owning pets for life after she neglected an American bulldog named Bella which later died at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). The dog was only two years old and was severely malnourished and unhealthy.
25-year-old Ariel Crowther-Christine did not appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court for her sentencing on August 27. She was given a fine of $3800 and also had a conviction recorded. The court heard how Bella resembled a "skeleton." Christine was charged with failing to feed and three counts of failing to provide treatment for an injury. The RSPCA had been receiving complaints regarding the health of the dog since December 2018. The complaints revealed that Bella was so underweight that her bones were jutting out.
The informant also added that Bella was extremely lethargic and also had a lump on the back of her leg. The RSPCA inspectors had visited Christine's house many times and had told her to take Bella to the vet which she had done. However, on a follow-up visit in March 2018, Bella had been emaciated. There was also another animal in the yard which was in good condition.
According to Christine, Bella was fed daily and away from the other animal as she was "too weak to push him away when they are eating." A few days later, Bella was taken to RSPCA where she was marked as a two on a scale of emaciation where a 'nine' was considered obese. The next day, Bella was taken for surgery to treat her medical issues but later died. Prosecutor Tracey Jackson said Bella would have easily survived if she had received proper treatment. Magistrate Linda Bradford-Morgan added that the dog was obviously starving in the backyard.
Christine's neglect resulted in a prohibition order from owning pets for life. The order can be reconsidered and reviewed after a period of five years.