10-year ban for Slough dog owner who left pet home alone and starving

A dog owner whose pet suffered severe malnutrition after being left home alone for three weeks has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years.

Police, the RSPCA and council officers attended a council property in Egerton Road on May 24, 2024, in response to reports of a dog being left unattended.

Mother-of-four Jade Williamson, 37, was the registered tenant of the property but she was not present at the time.

Officers forced entry to the council home due to concern about the animal and found a female Cane Corso, named Stormi.

An assessment revealed Stormi, an Italian breed of mastiff, weighed less than half her ideal body weight.

She was also being kept in poor conditions which included rubbish and faeces strewn across the property and a build up of older dog mess in the garden.

Stormi was immediately taken to the vet where tests revealed she was suffering from severe malnutrition.

At this point, a council officer formally took Storm into possession, pending an investigation.

Jade Williamson stated that Stormi was purchased in 2020 for £2,000 and imported from Romania into the UK, and documents provided confirmed this.

The council had previously had to intervene in late 2020 due to complaints about dog noise, the dog’s living conditions and the condition of the property's rear garden.

Williamson stated she had been living at a relatives’ house in April and May 2024 with her children due to family issues and had been paying another person to look after her pet.

But she refused to name this person throughout the investigation and Slough Borough Council discovered she had failed to check how Stormi was doing, despite staying at an address which was a 10-minute walk away.

No information ever came to light that an arrangement had been made for someone else to look after Stormi, the council said.

Williamson appeared at Slough Magistrates’ Court on May 2 and pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering and a failure of duty of care under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

A sentencing took place at the same court on Friday, September 26 where Williamson, who was not present in court, was banned from keeping animals for 10 years, fined £120 and told to pay £1,579.70 in court costs.

This will be deducted from her benefits, Slough Borough Council said.

After a period of rehabilitation and care, Stormi has now made a full recovery and been successfully rehomed.

Cllr Ejaz Ahmed, lead member for communities, sport, leisure, and public protection, said: “Thank you to the police, the RSPCA and our council officers who worked together to ensure that this dog was taken away from her owner who neglected her so badly.

“It is great to hear that Stormi made a full recovery and was rehomed. I am incredibly grateful to our residents who came forward and reported concerns about this dog before it was too late, as there could have been a very different outcome.”