Stockwell woman starved bulldog to death, says RSPCA

WARNING: Distressing image!

Zainab Ayinla, of Loughborough Park in Stockwell, was handed a 10-year ban, fined £300 and ordered to pay £800 in court costs after she was found guilty of animal neglect at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on February 29.

Her dog’s emaciated body was admitted to a vet hospital on December 17, 2022.

The state of Patch was described by the vet as “shocking”' as the bulldog had lost an alarming 13kg since his last visit to the vet hospital, just seven months prior.

Ayinla had contacted the vet hospital two months earlier mentioning Patch’s concerning weight loss, yet failed to attend a subsequent appointment.

By mid-December, Patch's health had significantly deteriorated.

On December 17, Ayinla called the vet once more, reporting that her pet could no longer walk and was showing signs of distress with laboured breathing and sporadic twitching.

By the time Ayinla managed to get Patch to the vet, it was too late.

Post-mortem results showed that Patch had 92g of plastic material in his stomach, pointing to extreme hunger.

It was concluded the direct cause of death was severe malnutrition and that Patch was able to eat but did not have access to adequate food.

Image of dogs body (Image: RSPCA)

The vet said: “His condition at presentation was shocking: he was significantly underweight with an accountable weight loss of 13kg in the past seven months since the last time he was seen at the hospital in May 2022, with very long nails and bed sores and urine scalding.

“Considering Patch’s presentation on the 17 December and the missed appointment in November, is it my professional opinion that Patch went through a significant period of suffering until the time of his death.

“Would the owner have him brought to us sooner and probably we would have been able to help him, whether from a medical point of view or supporting the owner in providing care for her pet.”

Ayinla's defence was that she "had done everything she could for the dog", having sought advice about worming and Patch’s weight loss, yet there was no corresponding record of this in Patch’s vet hospital documentation.

RSPCA inspector Philip Norman, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said: “Animals are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met. Providing food and water is an essential.

“Owning an animal is a privilege - and ensuring appropriate care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards them.

“It’s sad that, in this instance, the owner of Patch failed to provide him with a suitable diet and as a result allowed him to suffer for a prolonged period of time.”