A shocked former vet nurse who discovered a dog left to die by its owner said it was one of the worst cases of animal abuse in his career.
Mark Knight found 10-year-old Rocky surrounded by piles of his own faeces.
There was so little left of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier that he no longer had eyes and his collar was hanging loosely from his neck, according to Mark.
Rocky’s owner, Carrie Hansford, has since been banned from keeping animals for five years because of her cruel actions.
Mark was called to the property in Junction Road, Totton as an animal handler on a warrant unrelated to the dog.
Upon entering the property, Mark was greeted with an ‘overwhelming’ smell.
This is when alarm bells started ringing.
“The smell immediately indicated something was wrong and my thoughts straight away were that I was going to find something dead”, Mark recalled.
After searching the first floor of the house, Mark returned downstairs where the smell became stronger.
He said: “As I got into the kitchen, I immediately saw a lot of dog excrement – months and months’ worth.
“I looked by the kitchen bench and saw the emaciated dog on the floor, obviously dead.
“It was very distressing.
“I was a vet [nurse] for six years and also an animal welfare officer and it is one of the worst cases in 10 years I have come across.”
He added: “It is clear the owner intended to leave the dog to die. She easily could have gotten assistance and help and that would’ve given the dog a chance.
“He had no chance being locked behind a door with no food or water.
“There were ripped packages, ripped everything, everywhere. The dog had been searching for food and trying to find a way to survive.
“As an animal warden, I am there for the welfare of animals. I felt raw emotion at that time.”
On Wednesday at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court, Hansford, 43, was handed a four-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, alongside her ban and 100 hours of unpaid work.
Hansford, of Wickham Court, Southampton, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
The court heard that Rocky had died a slow, painful death from starvation and dehydration and weighed only 6.75kg when he was found.
Devastatingly, his collar was four times too big for him.
It is not known how long he lay dead for, but Southampton Magistrates’ Court previously heard Hansford saw Rocky the day after he died – December 17, 2022 – but left him there to rot.
She abandoned the family dog to live with her new partner, the court heard.
Speaking on the sentence she received, Mark said: “I think the sentence is quite shocking, but she now has five years to reflect and hopefully not do anything like this again.”
Following the sentencing, an RSPCA spokesperson said: “Dogs are completely reliant on their owners and to not provide for their needs is a breach of the law.
“Providing food, water and a suitable living environment are essential elements of that care.
“The vet highlighted that Rocky had been left without food and water for a prolonged period of time and the suffering Rocky endured as a result is unimaginable.”
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