A woman has been jailed and banned from keeping animals for life after leaving her pet dog to starve to death while she was in prison. Gemma Bennie, 26, abandoned her one-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Zacko, alone in her flat in Filton, Bristol, after she was sentenced to prison in January.
The dog's decomposed body was found three months later when a neighbour reported a fly infestation and a foul smell coming from the property. RSPCA inspector Miranda Albinson discovered Zacko curled up on Bennie's clothes, where he had crawled for comfort before dying.
Inspector Albinson described the scene as 'haunting' and one of the saddest she had ever seen. She stated that the dog would have suffered a slow, painful death from starvation or dehydration, and that simply informing someone about the dog could have saved its life.
Bennie, who admitted animal cruelty, was sentenced to 17 weeks in prison and disqualified from keeping animals for life at Bristol Magistrates Court. The dog had originally been owned by Bennie's former partner, who was also in prison and had left Zacko in her care.
