Dog owner gets seven-year ban for failing to treat dog
23.06.25
A Manchester woman has been banned from keeping all animals for seven years after failing to take her ill and seriously underweight dog to the vet.
She was so thin her body condition was recorded as one out of a possible nine; she was too stiff to walk comfortably, and painful medical conditions affected her eyes and ears.
A vet’s report said Lipsy "suffered unnecessarily" and veterinary treatment should have been sought much earlier in this case. But the defendant claimed she did not want to visit the vet in case the dog’s ailments were caused by cancer.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court also gave Hoppley a 12-week jail term suspended for 18 months when she appeared for sentencing on June 4. She was ordered to pay £154 victim surcharge and complete 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days. Hoppley pleaded guilty to causing Lipsy unnecessary suffering by failing to ensure she had appropriate veterinary care, in breach of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
RSPCA Inspector Jessica Pierce said in a statement that she went to the property in May 2022, when she was working as an Animal Rescue Officer for the charity, to investigate reports of a "thin dog". She did not see Lipsy on that visit, but she returned twice and on her third trip, met the defendant, who showed her the pet in the back garden.
RSPCA officer Pierce said Lipsy was "extremely underweight - all of her ribs, spine and hip bones were visible". She vomited after being given some dog biscuits, then ate them again.
"She appeared very hungry to me. I explained to Hoppley that I was very worried about Lipsy and wanted to take her to a vet straight away."
The defendant claimed her pet hadn't "been right" since she was picked up by a private vet several months earlier after she had "gotten out".
Hoppley told the officer she was too scared to take Lipsy to the vet in case her illness was diagnosed as cancer. The defendant agreed to sign Lipsy over to RSPCA care, and she was taken to Greater Manchester Animal Hospital for examination and treatment.
A vet’s statement said that she had a body score of one from nine and was "severely underweight". It added: "Muscle wastage was visible over the entire body and particularly notable on her head. Her ribs and pelvic bones were visible, and the bones over her spine were easily felt."
Her ears were red, thickened and discharging brown fluid and had lost hair on the flaps, plus she was suffering from "dry eye", - which involves being unable to produce tears.
"Her hind limbs were both bowed, with the left limb rotating outwards. She was very stiff and had a reduced range of motion of both her hind limbs. She was uncomfortable."
The report concluded she "was currently suffering, was likely to have been suffering for a prolonged period and had an extremely poor quality of life."
Lipsy was taken to RSPCA Tameside & Glossop Branch, where staff helped rebuild her health and prepare her for rehoming.
RSPCA Inspector Nichola Waterworth, who oversaw the inquiry, said after the hearing, "Lipsy was thin and didn’t deserve this. She’s a beautiful dog, so friendly and so loyal. I'm just so glad that a member of the public was kind enough to report her to us and that we were able to rescue her in time and rehome her with someone who will treat her well.
"We all have a responsibility to the animals we take on and should research before we get them, to be sure our lifestyles allow us to give them the love and care they need for the rest of their life. We can’t just forget about pets when our lives change. This lady didn’t think it important to give Lipsy the care she needed."
