A woman has been banned from owning animals for 10 years after allowing her dog’s health to deteriorate.

Donna Marie Morrison, 42, from Durham Street in Newcastle, was also handed a 18-month community order with 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work after being prosecuted by the RSPCA.

She was sentenced at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Magistrates Court on April 5, and also must pay a £114 victim surcharge and £1,170 in costs.

The Northern Echo: Dozer the Staffordshire Bull Terrier had to be put down due to his condition Credit: RSPCA

This comes after Morrison’s elderly Staffordshire Terrier, Dozer, had been left with an untreated anal mass and tumours across his body.

Morrison had been given advice on several occasions to take the dog to the vet, and appointments had been booked by the RSPCA on her behalf.

Inspector Helen Nedley said: “My colleague, Inspector Suzanne Edgar found that Dozer had a soft lump the size of a golf ball around his tail area.

“He also had a small lump the size of the end of a Biro pen on his front right leg.

“She strongly advised Donna Morrison to take Dozer to the vets for a check up on these lumps within the next two weeks.”

The Northern Echo: Dozer the Staffordshire Bull Terrier had to be put down due to his condition Credit: RSPCA

The tumours had spread through the canine’s body resulting in his thin body condition – and was put down to prevent further suffering.

The court heard that the RSPCA first visited the defendant’s property in September 2022 to carry out a condition check on Dozer, after receiving concerns from the public about the dog.

Morrison was advised by the officer to take the dog to the vet and had agreed to the course of action – though the dog was never taken to a vet.

The dog was left in a very serious condition in May 2023 and was signed over to the RSPCA so that he could be assessed for treatment by a vet.

An ultrasound of Dozer found two very large, hard masses inside Dozer’s abdomen pressing against his bladder, which had possibly spread from the original tumour on his backside.

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “The vet stated that given that Dozer’s weight loss was likely to have been somewhat chronic in nature, and that the anal mass had been present for some time, suffering could have been avoided if the dog had been taken to a vet sooner. It was likely Dozer had suffered for several weeks.

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“He added that given the significant weight loss and the presence of the tumour, the needs of the Staffie were not being met.”

RSPCA Inspector Helen Nedley added: “It was Morrison’s legal responsibility to properly care for Dozer and she failed to do this. There was no excuse for failing to seek veterinary care for him when it was abundantly clear he so desperately needed it.

“This was an awful case and Dozer’s suffering could have easily been avoided. The RSPCA urges anyone struggling to take care of their animal to ask for help and act on advice, rather than neglecting them and leaving them to suffer.”