Livingston mum who dumped dead dog in her freezer is banned from keeping animals

A woman has been banned from keeping animals for five years after a dead dog was found in a freezer at her filthy home.

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Kirsty McNeil’s pet’s fur was so matted that inspectors from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals couldn’t make out what kind of breed the dog was.

The dead animal, called Cooper, had not been exercised or cared for properly for so long that that his claws curved underneath the pads on his feet and there were clumps of faecal matter on his hindquarters.

Poor wee Yorkie Max was found very thin with matted fur

Livingston Sheriff Court was told that a post mortem carried out by vets established that Cooper had died of organ failure caused by malnutrition.

Miral Jaber, prosecuting, said the Scottish SPCA were alerted to the situation by an anonymous caller who told them in November 2019 that two cats at McNeil’s then home in Nelson Avenue, Livingston, were not being attended to.

Inspectors found the floor covered in dog faeces and a strong smell of urine in the flat. Cooper’s body was in the drawer of a broken freezer in the kitchen.

Two other dogs – a cross-breed called Benji and a Yorkshire terrier named Max – had similarly overgrown nails through lack of exercise.

The freezer where struggling McNeil dumped Cooper's body

Sharply pronged carpet gripper was exposed around the edges of the faeces covered carpet in one room and there was clear evidence that the animals had chewed and scratched the door frame in a desperate bid to escape.

READ MORE: Scottish SPCA find 3 dead puppies wrapped in toilet paper and buried in Edinburgh

The pets which were still alive were rescued and taken away by the animal rescue charity and Cooper’s body was disposed of after forensic examination to establish the cause of death.

McNeil, 40, who did not appear in court, earlier pled guilty to causing Cooper unnecessary suffering by failing to provide him with appropriate care and treatment. In particular she feed him properly, whereby he became emaciated with a matted coat, overgrown claws and faecal and urine staining on its fur.

Banned: Kirsty McNeil

She also pled guilty to failing to take reasonable steps to meet the needs of her two other dogs and two cats between the same dates, 24 September and 24 November 2019. She admitted failing to provide a hygenic environment by exposing the animals to urine, faeces and the exposed gripper spikes.

In addition she admitted failing to give the pets suitable food and water and adequate exercise which would have allowed them to exhibit normal behaviour patterns.

Glenn Fraser, defending, said it was one of the most difficult cases he had had to deal with and described the charges as “horrible”.

He said during a two month period McNeil had “shut down completely” as a result of struggling with depression sparked by an abusive relationship.

She admitted she had been incapable of looking after the animals .at the time or of caring properly for children in the house or for her mother, who was suffering from dementia and had since died.

He revealed that the fridge and the cooker had broken down but, despite being in financial difficulty, McNeil had twice been turned down for grants to buy replacement white goods and had been surviving on takeaway food.

He said: “She’s completely regretful of what’s happened. She seems to have done everything she can to protect her mental health and to get things back to normal but her intense feelings of guilt have probably slowed down her recovery.

“I’d like to stress that this was never done because of deliberate cruelty. This happened because she wasn’t coping at the time. She just went into a downward spiral.”

READ MORE: Woman in Dalkeith given a five year ban from keeping more than one dog after Scottish SPCA investigation

Passing sentence, Sheriff Susan Craig told Mr Fraser: “It’s an appalling situation. I think your opening remarks were on the money.

“It was dreadful and to some extent surprising in the 21st Century to be able to descend to that level with the circumstances for the children, her mother and the animals without it being picked up that the problem existed in the wider community. That’s just an observation.”

She added: “It was a short period of time but it was an appalling time for these children, her mother and the animals.”

She made McNeil, who was not present in court, subject to a structured deferred sentence and disqualified her from keeping any animals for five years.

McNeil, who also admitted neglecting three children and a woman for whom she was carer by failing to provide them with adequate food and clothing, was ordered to return to court for final sentencing in November.

Following proceedings, Scottish SPCA inspector Fiona Thorburn said: “In November 2019, we received an anonymous call to our animal helpline regarding welfare concerns for two dogs and two cats within McNeil’s property. One of the dogs was reported to be deceased and buried in the back garden. We later found this to be Cooper.

“We were informed that Cooper’s body had been kept in a freezer for a period before being buried.

“Inside the property was in very poor condition and not a suitable environment to keep animals. We found Max, a Yorkshire terrier, with a matted coat and was very thin. Benji, a small crossbreed, seemed to be in fair condition with mild matting.

“We removed Cooper, Benji and Max, along with two cats, from McNeil’s address and took them for veterinary examination. Max was kept by the vet for treatment and the other animals were taken to an animal rescue and rehoming centre where they received the care and rehabilitation they needed.

“The suffering McNeil directly caused Max and Cooper by failing to provide food and the most basic of care was entirely avoidable. Max’s condition greatly improved in our care with proper grooming and a sufficient diet.

“We are pleased that a five year ban on owning animals has been handed out. We look forward to full sentencing later this year.”

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