Derbyshire woman banned from keeping pets after leaving dog to starve

Elderly Staffie Wally had to be put to sleep by vets, who could only detect a very faint heartbeat when they examined him in March.

Wally was in such poor condition he had to be put down
Author: Matt SoanesPublished 19th Nov 2024

A Derbyshire woman has been banned from keeping pets for 10 years after leaving a dog to starve.

43 year old Dominika Carolina Wojnar, of Alexandra Road in Dronfield, was sentenced to a 12 week suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay costs at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court.

She admitted to a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Elderly Staffie Wally had to be put to sleep by vets, who could only detect a very faint heartbeat when they examined him in March.

He was in such poor condition the vets tipped off the RSPCA about the case, after concluding he had been neglected.

In her defence, Wojnar claimed to have struggled to take case of her pet due to financial pressures and the struggles of being a single parent.

RSPCA Inspector Leanne Booth, who investigated the case, said in her statement:

“Wally was presented in very poor condition. Wally was emaciated, had fur loss … and several sores on his body. He was collapsed and did not appear to be breathing."

“The vet informed me that Wally was registered at the practice as a 13 and a half year old brindle entire male Staffordshire bull terrier but was unrecognisable … due to his extremely poor condition."

“He said he’d never seen a dog in such poor condition.”

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