Dog Owner Lets Puppy Starve To Death After Locking Her In A Scottish Hallway For Months

Officials sentenced a Scottish woman to a six-year ban from possessing animals after abandoning her dog for a month and allowing it to starve to death.

Lexi, a three-year-old mastiff cross trapped in a hallway in Scotland at only a third of her average weight after starving to death, belonged to Thea Anderson.

Clydebank Post said Lexi weighed only 11.2kg at her death, although she should have weighed more than 30kg.

Following a Scottish SPCA inquiry, the 21-year-old from Clydebank was also sentenced to 160 hours of community service and an 18-month supervision period.

Lexi's death was "unavoidable," according to Scottish SPCA investigator Gillian Dick. Anderson's actions, the investigator said, were a direct cause of her death.

She said: "The level of pain and physical and mental suffering Lexi would have gone through at the end of her life would have been horrendous. Lexi was caused direct suffering because Anderson failed to provide her with food and the most basic of care.

"We are pleased that Anderson has been handed the ban owning animals."

Anderson, who appeared in Dumbarton Sheriff Court recently, had also refused to seek veterinary treatment for Lexi, resulting in the young dog's 'immense suffering.' She blamed Lexi's death on a friend who was supposed to be looking after her, but she also acknowledged to seeing the puppy days before she died when questioned.

While Lexi was starving, a bag of dog food was locked in a cupboard just inches away from her.

According to Inspector Dick, any competent dog owner would have recognized Lexi's need for immediate veterinary attention.

She added that reaching Lexi's state would have taken weeks or longer. Lexi died as a result of her organs failing or dehydration as a result of the situation.

"I found the bag of dog food in the hallway cupboard. It was a big bag and only a third of the food was out of it. It's so sad to think of Lexi being so close to this food while starving to death," Inspector Dick said in a report.

Lexi died of organ failure or dehydration, according to the examining veterinarian. Either of these circumstances would have resulted in a slow and agonizing death for her.

The Scottish SPCA's confidential animal helpline can be reached at 03000 999 999 if someone is worried about an animal.