Puppy with clipped ears left in 'one of the worst' conditions

A Nuneaton woman has been banned from keeping any animals for five years after admitting to causing unnecessary suffering to a puppy.Animal Protection Services has said that the case brought against Hope Starkey from Abbotsford Road is 'one of the worst' they have had to deal with.28-year-old Starkey admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to puppy Nylah by failing to address the animals’ pain and infection following an ear cropping procedure.She appeared at Coventry Magistrates’ Court yesterday (September 8) where she was sentenced to a 12-month community order which included 180 hours of unpaid work.

She was also ordered to pay costs totalling £1,500 according to the court.In addition to this, Starkey was also disqualified from keeping all animals for 5 years.The court heard how investigating officers from Animal Protection Services visited Ms Starkey at her Attleborough home on July 5th this year after a member of the public reported concerns about puppy Nylah.In an interview, Starkey admitted that she had purchased Nylah in late May.Ms Starkey further admitted that she did not seek veterinary attention for Nylah or provide any pain killers, and she took full responsibility.Jacob Lloyd, head of investigations at Animal Protection Services, said: "This is one of the worst cases I have ever seen."A member of the public had contacted us in July and was worried about the welfare of Nylah, reporting that she had not had any pain relief since her ears were cropped in late May.“Investigating officers from Animal Protection Services attended the address and found Nylah."The strong foul smell coming from her ears was unbearable. Both of her ears were infected. The ears were painful to touch.“Ear cropping is a painful and unnecessary procedure that is carried out completely for cosmetic purposes. It has lifelong implications on the dog’s welfare and behaviour."In this case, Nylah was left to suffer from an infected wound, without any veterinary care."Nylah remains in the care of the charity, which is now trying to find her a loving home.