A dog who was found covered in painful scabs and sores after being left to suffer without the veterinary care she desperately needed has been transformed.
13-year-old Bella was rescued by an RSPCA inspector after concerns were raised about her health and wellbeing by members of the public.
Her previous owners have now been disqualified from owning dogs for ten years after pleading guilty to animal welfare offences, following a prosecution by the charity.
Mark Haycock, 50 and Alison Haycock, 48, of Romans Way, Tiverton Devon, were sentenced when they appeared before Exeter Magistrates’ Court on Friday, January 15.
RSPCA Inspector Charlotte Coggins began an investigation for the animal welfare charity after rescuing Bella, a Sheltie cross Shih Tzu, from the couple’s home in March 2020.
She said: “I entered the lounge, and the smell of the room was foul.
“This is where I initially saw a dog who I now know as Bella with hardly any fur curled up on the sofa. Bella was scratching a lot, and her skin appeared and smelled infected. Her nails were also very…
