Finedon woman left sick dog to suffer - with grave dug instead of seeking help

A Finedon woman who asked for help to dig a grave for her sick dog and left him to suffer has been jailed.

Laura Baverstock should have sought veterinary care for her German shepherd Rek, who became severely ill with symptoms of antifreeze poisoning.

But instead taking steps to help him she told her neighbours he was dying and a hole was dug in the ground while he continued to be in pain. The RSPCA tried to intervene but nobody answered the door.

On Wednesday (August 31) the 40-year-old was jailed for 18 weeks in what a prosecutor described as being close to one of the worst cases of its kind.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard that on October 9, 2018, Baverstock approached her neighbours and asked if they would assist in digging a hole so Rek could be buried. Her neighbours, who had heard the dog barking that day, asked what his condition was.

Prosecuting, Adam Williams said: "They were told he was not dead but was dying."

Baverstock’s neighbours refused to help dig the grave and instead went to see Rek. They described him as appearing very ill and weak and droopy eyed, the court heard.

They were so concerned they called the RSPCA who dispatched an officer to the High Street flat. When he arrived the lights at the address were on but nobody answered the door and a calling card was put through the letterbox. He went to the communal back garden where he saw the hole had been dug but was empty.

The next day at 10.30am another RSPCA officer attended and was told that Rek had died overnight.

Baverstock said her dog had eaten weedkiller three days earlier. The court heard that she said she had spoken to a vet she found on Google, who said that he would be sick but would be fine.

Rek’s cause of death was found to be renal failure from antifreeze poisoning. The court heard that, because of the size of the dog, he must have had at least two-thirds of a pint of concentrated antifreeze for renal failure to kick in. There was no finding of fact over how the antifreeze entered his system.

Mr Williams said: "This is not something that would have been found in weedkiller. This is not something the animal would have stumbled across in any safe home or outside area."

Rek was also found to be suffering from heart and lung disease – and that any 'reasonable' dog owner would have noticed a change in their behaviour weeks earlier.

Mr Williams added: "Putting the antifreeze aside there should have been at least a three week warning that the animal was sick."

Baverstock was later charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and denied the offence but was found guilty after a two-day trial in July.

The court heard mitigation that she ‘clearly cared a great deal for Rek’, demonstrated genuine emotion at the trial and had the case hanging over her for four years. Her legal representative argued the case for a community order.

But magistrates instead sent her to prison for 18 weeks and banned her from keeping animals for life, with a minimum period of 10 years before she could apply for the disqualification to be lifted.

Chair of the bench Richard Hawkins said there was no question that she had caused unnecessary suffering to Rek.

He said: "It's really quite appalling what happened."

Baverstock was also ordered to pay costs of £7,462.60.