A Swansea woman has been handed a lifetime ban on keeping animals after allowing her three-year-old bulldog to become so severely emaciated that he died from starvation.
Annasha Cara McCarthy, also known as Neesha McCarty, admitted failing to properly care for bulldog Chico and failing to seek veterinary help as his condition deteriorated.
Chico was already dead when he was taken to a veterinary practice in Swansea on October 20, 2025.
The dog weighed just 10.9kg at the time of his death — more than 11kg lighter than he had been at a veterinary appointment nine months earlier.
A vet assessed Chico as having a body-condition score of one out of nine, the lowest possible rating. His bones were clearly visible after an extreme loss of both body fat and muscle.
Veterinary evidence concluded that Chico had been suffering from starvation for at least a month before he died.
The RSPCA traced Chico through his microchip and contacted McCarthy, who acknowledged that she was responsible for him despite the animal being registered in another person’s name.
McCarthy admitted an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 after failing to provide the dog with adequate nutrition and failing to obtain help while his weight dramatically declined.
The court heard that McCarthy had experienced financial difficulties and said she had been worried about being judged if she sought assistance.
However, the district judge said she had effectively allowed Chico to waste away.
RSPCA Inspector Jemima Hanks-Martin described the case as “horrible” and said any responsible owner seeing an animal in such a condition should have sought veterinary assistance.
The inspector also stressed that financial hardship should never result in an animal being left to suffer, with support available for owners struggling with the cost of caring for their pets.
McCarthy was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
She was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, undertake 14 rehabilitation activity days and pay £150 in court costs.
Most significantly, the court imposed a lifetime disqualification from keeping animals, meaning McCarthy is permanently prohibited from owning or caring for animals.
Chico’s death came after a prolonged and dramatic deterioration in his condition, with veterinary evidence showing he had lost more than half of his previous body weight before ultimately dying from starvation.
