Andreia Viana, of Sproughton has been banned from keeping pets after being prosecuted by the RSPCA
A Suffolk woman who left her 14-week-old puppy in the garden while on holiday for a fortnight has been banned from keeping all animals.
Andreia Viana, of Sproughton, near Ipswich, pleaded guilty to failing to meet the needs of her young puppy called Lorde - after being prosecuted by the RSPCA.
The 29-year-old failed to provide adequate food for Lorde and left him in an unsuitable environment contaminated by faeces and containing hazardous items including plastic bags between July 31 and August 16, 2023.
She also failed to provide appropriate companionship.
On July 18, Suffolk Magistrates’ Court, in Ipswich, heard the defendant had gone on holiday for two weeks and asked someone to feed him.
The person feeding Lorde then became concerned about him.
Lorde was removed from the property in August last year and was examined by a vet who found him to be significantly underweight.
In a separate unrelated incident the RSPCA had visited the defendant over welfare concerns for her cat Tico.
Viana pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the male tabby cat after failing to provide veterinary treatment for the pet, which was suffering from severe dental disease between June 21, 2022 and January 19, 2023.
Speaking after the case RSPCA inspector Natalie Bartle said: “Pet owners have a duty to ensure the welfare needs of their animals are met.
“Tico required surgery to his mouth and needed all but two of his teeth removed as a result.
“Sadly in the case of Tico and Lorde they had been failed by their owner.
“Tico has since been rehomed and has a loving new family and Lorde has been in foster care and is now up for adoption.”
In mitigation the defendant said she could not afford veterinary treatment for her cat and that she had made adequate arrangements for the dog to be looked after while she went on a two week holiday.
She was sentenced to a five year disqualification on keeping all animals and ordered to carry out 12 months community service, with 15 rehabilitation requirement days and 150 hours unpaid work.
Viana has lodged an appeal against the sentence.
