A Merseyside woman has been sentenced after she failed to provide the appropriate veterinary treatment for her 2 dogs. 1 of the dogs had died - with both found in a poor condition

Lorraine Jane Barlow (d.o.b 28/08/1983) of Luke Street, Wallasey, appeared at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on:- Thursday, 5 March 2026 and was handed 12-weeks of custody which was suspended for 12 months, 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days and a victim surcharge of £154. She was also banned from keeping all animals for 5 years.

This hearing followed a previous court attendance where she pleaded guilty to 3 offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

They were that she failed to provide veterinary treatment for signs of ill health, namely weight loss and an infected mass, for a female Staffordshire bull terrier named Poppy and that she failed to provide veterinary treatment for a female Staffordshire bull terrier named Pippa for the masses on her leg and abdomen.

The 3rd offence was that she failed to meet both their needs to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease by failing to provide adequate effective parasite control.

In a statement provided to the court by RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes said the RSPCA had been made aware about concerns of the condition of a deceased dog and on:- 9 July last year, and he attended a private kennels where the body had been taken to.

On viewing the body, he said:- “The dog was in poor body condition with hips, spine and ribs visible and obvious muscle atrophy evident on the legs and head. There was a very strong smell of infection coming from the dog and I noted a large orange sized ulcerated mammary tumour that was full of pus and had deep holes where pus was coming from. I noted lots of live fleas and an abundance of flea dirt throughout the dog’s coat. The abdominal area was discoloured and swollen. There were fly eggs around the anus and mouth but no maggots were observed. The fur was wet and matted with what appeared to be blood and blood dripped from the nose and mouth when she was moved.”

The body was seized by Merseyside Police and he later attended the Wallasey home where the dog - named Poppy - had come from.

His owner Miss Barlow told Inspector Joynes that Poppy had died before she could seek any veterinary treatment due to finances. There he met her other dog - Pippa an elderly white and black Staffordshire Bull Terrier type dog.

In his statement, he said:- “She was noted to be in reasonable body condition with good muscle and fat coverage. She had lots of lumps and bumps throughout her body and legs. I noted a golf ball sized ulcerated tumour on the front left leg. This was wet, sticky and very inflamed. I also noted Pippa had lots of live fleas throughout her coat and a large, firm and nobbly mammary mass could be seen and palpated in the mammary area.”

Inspector Joynes was informed that Miss Barlow was thinking of having Pippa put to sleep but money had been an issue. After discussing quality of life and the poor prognosis for Pippa, she agreed she would be signed over to the RSPCA.

Pippa was examined by a vet and due to her poor prognosis and quality of life possible for her it was agreed for her to be put to sleep.

A vet, who provided a statement to the court, said Poppy was “grossly underweight with body condition score of 2 out of 9” and a mammary tumour of approximately four centimetres was present on her left most caudal mammary gland. This tumour had ruptured and appeared infected and necrotic.

The vet said:- “There was evidence of discharge from this on the skin and fur in her groin. There was a significant number of fleas and flea dirt present all over her coat. There was dry blood around her nostrils.”

After examining Pippa, the vet said she was covered in fleas and had a mass - approximately 5 centerminers diameter -  on her left thorax.

The vet said:- “She had a mammary mass on her right most caudal gland, this was approximately 7 centerminers in diameter. There was a pedunculated mass from her mid left abdomen. The main concern was a golf ball sized ulcerated tumour on the back of the left antebrachium which needed veterinary attention.”

Following sentencing, Inspector Joynes said:- “Every animal deserves to be treated with kindness and respect and if you have a pet you are responsible for making sure they are happy and healthy. We would urge anyone struggling to seek help.”