'Emaciated' dog starved to death after being locked in a bathroom by cruel Northampton owner

Joshua Walfall, 20, of Swale Drive, Kings Heath, appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court yesterday (May 2), where he pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the dog, named Shadow.

The court heard that Shadow, a bull terrier-type breed, had been living in the small, dirty bathroom in the Swale Drive flat for at least a month when his body was found.

Walfall had stopped living in the flat at the start of December but said he was going back two times a week to feed him.

But Shadow’s emaciated body was discovered when Walfall visited the flat with council workers on January 5 this year. A post-mortem examination confirmed that he had died from starvation.

RSPCA inspector Michelle Hare said: “When I interviewed Walfall, he said he had stopped living in the flat at the start of December as it was too cold. However, he had left Shadow there and he said he was going back to feed him, but the dog was underweight and emaciated so he clearly was not getting enough food.

“It is so sad to think that this dog was locked in this small toilet for a month, with no stimulation, no fresh air, barely any room to move and no contact with another human or animal - on top of the fact that he was slowly starving to death. It would have been a miserable existence for him.

“When you have an animal you are legally responsible to ensure that they are not suffering and that their needs are being met. Walfall failed his dog and as a result the dog died a horrible death. It is simply not acceptable to treat an animal like this.”

As well as the four-year disqualification order, magistrates also extended an existing six-month community order imposed on Walfall for a separate offence by 15 days and ordered him to pay £150 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.