Outrage as elderly dog put in bin liner and dumped in canal by evil Brierfield couple who avoid jail
Maddie was sadly put to sleep to prevent further suffering.
A couple from Lancashire who put their elderly dog in a bin liner and threw her into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal have been given a suspended prison sentence and banned from keeping animals for a decade.
Maddie, an elderly terrier type dog, was rescued from the water at Clitheroe Road in Brierfield by officers from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service after a member of the public had gone into the canal to try and get her.
Although she survived, Maddie’s condition deteriorated at a veterinary practice in the days that followed and she was sadly put to sleep to prevent further suffering.
At Burnley Magistrates Court on Wednesday, June 24, Maddie’s owners, Terrence Boyd, 34, and his wife Sadie Boyd, 32, of Walter Street, Brierfield, were both sentenced to eight weeks custody, suspended for 12 months, and disqualified from keeping animals for ten years.
The evil pair who pleaded guilty to two Animal Welfare Act offences in relation to Maddie, plus seven kittens and a corn snake, were prosecuted by the RSPCA after the charity was called in to investigate.
Magistrates were told that a dog walker had seen them throw a bin liner into the canal on 27 August last year but when questioned was told by them it only contained clothes.
Member of the public jumped into the water to try and save her
But when the bag started to move before Maddie’s head appeared, a member of the public jumped into the water to try and save her.
Emergency services were called to the scene and Maddie was pulled from the canal by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service before being rushed to a local veterinary practice by the police.
It was discovered that Maddie was microchipped to Sadie Boyle’s address and the couple were arrested at their home later that day on suspicion of animal welfare offences.
Police also removed seven underweight kittens from the property because of welfare concerns.
Magistrates were told the house was unsanitary with large piles of pet faeces seen upstairs and mice running around the kitchen.
In her written evidence to the court the vet who treated Maddie, said: “On clinical examination, Maddie was hypothermic, with a temperature of 33.2°C (91.8°F). She was severely malnourished, with significant muscle atrophy.”
Multiple puncture wounds to her neck
The vet said Maddie also had severe dental disease and multiple puncture wounds to her neck.
Sadly her condition did not improve despite treatment, and by August 29 she appeared to be really struggling to walk and starting to display more abnormal neurological symptoms.
The court was told the vets treating her made the sad decision to put her to sleep to prevent further suffering.
All seven kittens removed from the address were malnourished and some of them were urine-soaked. Four of them were hypothermic on presentation and needed warming up.
The smallest female, weighing only 735 grams (26oz), was recumbent and about to have a seizure and was put to sleep by the vet on welfare grounds.
CCTV gathered by RSPCA Chief Inspector Kelly Nix, who investigated for the RSPCA, showed Terrence and Sadie Boyd walking along Walter Street carrying a black bag at about 9.05am on 27 August.
Further footage showed them walking down towards the canal and then exiting it at 9.15am. The couple initially head back in the direction they came, before running away and exiting down Akrigg Way where the pair are again seen on camera.
In his interview with the RSPCA Terrence Boyd said he had mostly no comment to make and there could be “hundreds of people” walking around with dark clothes and a beard in similar clothes. Sadie Boyd also said she had no comment and denied being at the canal that morning or owning the kittens.
The couple were both ordered to complete 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days and pay a victim surcharge of £154 each. They will not be able to apply to have their disqualification order terminated for five years.
Speaking after sentencing RSPCA Chief Inspector Nix said: “What happened to Maddie was horrifying and this incident was understandably the cause of great distress to people who were at the scene, the emergency services and the wider local community.
“I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who came together and showed nothing but kindness towards Maddie.
“It was heartbreaking that Maddie’s condition deteriorated and she ultimately could not be saved. I hope people will take some small comfort in the fact that those responsible for this shocking incident were able to be held to account for their actions and will not be able to keep animals for the foreseeable future.”
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A corn snake who was cold and living in an enclosure with no heating or suitable light at the couple’s property, was passed into the care of an exotic specialist. The surviving kittens were rehomed by the RSPCA.
Other animals owned by Terrence and Sadie Boyd, including adult cats, who were not subject to any of the offences, were also taken into the charity’s care for rehoming.