A woman from Aberdeen has been handed a five-year ban from owning and keeping horses after she ignored the condition of a six-year-old horse and allowed him to become morbidly obese.
Donna Parley was found guilty of two animal welfare charges relating to Geordie and was sentenced at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Thursday 24 September.
Concerns were raised about Geordie’s condition to the Scottish SPCA’s animal helpline in 2022 which prompted a visit from one of the charity’s inspectors.
On arrival, the inspector found Geordie was in a severe state and a local vet was asked to attend to administer urgent care. Geordie’s hooves were overgrown, cracked and hot to the touch and his legs were warm and swollen.
‘Heartbreaking’
“He was dull and showed no interest on my arrival. He was visibly overweight, very lame on all four feet and struggling to move freely and breath. It was heartbreaking to see him in such terrible pain,” said the inspector.
Upon examination, Geordie’s respiratory rate was 60 breaths per minute – significantly above the normal rate of eight to 12. His heart rate was also sixty beats per minute, almost double the normal of 32 to 36.
The vet confirmed Geordie had chronic laminitis and his feet had not been properly trimmed in at least a year. He was given a body condition score of five out of five which meant he was morbidly obese.
Lack of concern
“We welcome the Sheriff’s decision. Parley showed complete disregard for Geordie’s welfare, proving she isn’t capable of properly caring for an animal,” said the inspector.
“She ought to have known that keeping a horse in such terrible conditions would have detrimentally affected their welfare.
“Once Geordie developed laminitis, it would have also been obvious he was in severe pain, and she should’ve sought immediate veterinary treatment to alleviate his suffering.
“We hope this sentencing sends a clear message that animal neglect will not be tolerated in Scotland.”
The SSPCA, is calling for the creation of a Scottish National Animal Offenders Register to allow enforcement agencies to monitor bans, track repeat offenders, and identify links between animal abuse and other crimes.
Images © Scottish SCPA.
