Shauna Rouse – Manchester

❌SHAUNA ROUSE – MANCHESTER❌

Shauna Rouse, 31, from Oldham OL1 – starved two tiny dogs to emaciation then lied she had found them as strays.

CCTV captured Rouse arriving at the Dogs Trust Centre in Denton by car and carrying the dogs, one of whom was microchipped and called Bailey, into reception.

She told staff she had discovered them abandoned in a bush while on the school run in the Moorside area of Oldham earlier that morning. However, an RSPCA appeal led to her being identified as the dogs’ owner. Very sadly, one dog, Bailey, had to be immediately put to sleep due to his poor condition.

In his written evidence to the court, the vet from Dogs Trust who examined them, said: “Bailey was recumbent and unresponsive on presentation.

“His heart rate was 40 beats per minute and his respiratory rate was two breaths per minute.

“His pupils were fixed with no discernible pupillary light reflex.

“His limbs were stiff and curled into the fetal position; no obvious fractures or trauma were identified.”

“I assessed him as having a body condition score of one out of nine, with very prominent skeletal features.

“He was emaciated with little to no muscling or body fat and weighed 2.75 kg.”

Bailey was severely matted and stained with faeces around his back end.

His organs were shutting down and he was euthanised to prevent further suffering.

The other dog, nicknamed Tiny Tim, also had very little muscle mass, prominent skeletal features and was given the lowest body condition score.

His coat was matted, especially around his face, and he weighed 2.8kg.

The RSPCA treated Tiny Tim, and he was eventually given a good long-term prognosis.

After admitting the dogs were hers, Rouse said she didn’t know when the dogs’ weight loss had started or when the fur had matted.

She also said she had tried to rehome them.

She was sentenced to a 12-month community order with a 10-week curfew; costs of £200 and £114 victim surcharge. Disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years.