PHILIP WALSH – CREWE, CHESHIRE

❌PHILIP WALSH – CREWE, CHESHIRE❌

CONVICTED | Philip Walsh, 40, from Crewe, Cheshire CW1 – starved two large dogs to emaciation, with one immediately put to sleep.

Walsh pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to large bull breeds Duke and Queenie following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA. The charity was alerted by a vet after Walsh brought Duke to the surgery.

The dog, described by the vet as “severely emaciated”, was so thin that his bones were visible. He was given a body condition score of zero out of nine – the lowest possible.

He was also severely dehydrated and due to his poor state, the decision was made to euthanise him to prevent further suffering.

In a statement to the court, the vet said: “He [Walsh] said that his dog hadn’t been very well for a few days and he had been losing weight for the past four weeks.

“He said the dog was eating and drinking OK and that he did not have any vomiting or diarrhoea.

“He said he had only owned the dog a couple of months as the dog’s original owner was currently in prison.

“Duke was very cold and did not move at all from the table. I tried to take his temperature but it did not read on the thermometer. You could see every bone in his body.”

Post-mortem results showed that Duke’s death was likely due to prolonged starvation, with no medical condition found that could explain his extreme weight loss.

The RSPCA were called to investigate following Walsh’s admission to the vet that there was a second skinny dog at his property.

Inspector Nadine Pengilly attended Walsh’s address on November 21, 2024 and found Queenie. She was infested with fleas and her nails were overgrown. There was no water available in her enclosure. Like Duke, she was severely emaciated, with her spine, ribs and hip bones prominent. She was given a body condition score of just one to two.

In a statement to the court, inspector Nadine Pengilly said that Walsh had shown her an open bag of food he had for the two dogs.

She said: “There were no blankets or bedding as he told me she chewed them up. There were two metal bowls inside this cage that were both empty. There was no water available so I asked Walsh to put some in one of the empty bowls, which he did.

“He told me he only had £50 to help get Duke to the vets and that he had no more money left to help Queenie.”

Queenie was immediately removed from the property and rushed to the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital. Vets later confirmed she was suffering from malnutrition and neglect. She weighed just 21.4kg.

In mitigation, the court heard Walsh had lost his job and was struggling financially.

Sentencing | 18-month community order with 20 days of ‘rehabilitation’ and 20 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £400 in court costs, to be deducted from his benefits. Banned from owning animals for 10 years.