A Portlethen woman who was partly responsible for a dog starving to death will not be banned from keeping animals because she tried to prevent the German Shepherd’s death.
Dielle Johnson, 24, earlier admitted culpability after it was discovered the dead pet named Blaze was not fed properly for at least a month and had not eaten for up to three days before his death.
A postmortem concluded Blaze had suffered severe emaciation that more than halved his body weight, and faeces were found caked into his fur and paws.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court banned Johnson’s 26-year-old ex-partner Lee Derrett, of Glenbervie Road, Aberdeen, from keeping dogs for ten years and ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
However, Sheriff Graham Buchanan spared Johnson a pet ban, instead fining her £320 after learning Derrett had ignored her repeated requests for him to help Blaze.
Derrett told Johnson, who was “frightened” and in an “abusive relationship” with him, to “mind her own business,” the court heard.
Johnson felt too scared to report animal cruelty due to ‘abusive’ relationship
A previous court hearing was told that the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) examined Blaze’s body after it had been handed into a local veterinary practice on December 1 2023.
It weighed approximately 13kg, however, a dog of that size, sex and breed should have weighed 34-43kg.
The sheriff told Johnson: “You noticed that the dog had certain problems and encouraged Mr Derrett to take it to a vet, but you were not sure whether he had actually done it.
“Where you say you went wrong was that you did not alert the authorities that the dog was needing treatment.”
Johnson stated that the relationship she had with Derrett was “abusive” in nature and that she was too scared to go on at him.
Sheriff Buchanan said a social worker’s background report noted that when Johnson insisted Derrett take Blaze to a vet he told her the matter was “none of her business and she should keep out of it”.
He added that Johnson, a carer, had provided “exceptionally good” character references from her employer and a woman she cared for.
“I think what is fair to say is that your role in this offence was very, very limited indeed and it was really Mr Derrett who was responsible for the state of affairs that ultimately led to the death of the dog,” the sheriff said.
‘You should have done more but you didn’t because you were frightened’
Sheriff Buchanan described Derrett as “far and away the main offender” in what happened to Blaze.
“I’m prepared to accept that you tried to ensure that Mr Derrett did the right thing in relation to the dog,” he told Johnson.
The sheriff continued: “And you accept that perhaps you should have done more to alert the authorities but you didn’t because you were frightened and in an abusive relationship with [Derrett].”
Sheriff Buchanan concluded he was “satisfied” that there was no need for the court to make an order prohibiting Johnson, of Dunvegan Avenue, Portlethen, from keeping dogs in the future.
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