A woman has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after she failed to get help for a pony that died after losing half its bodyweight.
Louise Emslie, 32, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted failing to properly care for seven horses and causing unnecessary suffering to one pony, named Jazzie, who later died due to malnutrition and dehydration.
When Jazzie was assessed by a vet prior to her death, she was found to be less than half the weight when she should have been due to having very little fat or muscle on her body.
A vet described the pony’s body condition as one of the worst cases of emaciation they had seen during their career.
Jazzie – who was around two years old at the time – perished as a result of her poor care and lack of treatment.
Pony found in ‘terrible condition’
Fiscal depute Sophia Ramzan told the court that in February 2023, concerns were raised about the animals, but a report wasn’t formally submitted about the condition of one of the ponies to SSPCA until the following year in February 2024.
The report stated that a pony named “Jazzie” was looking thin and had been suffering from diarrhea for several days.
An SSPCA officer was sent to the field at Strawberry Field Road, Westhill, where Jazzie was found to be in a “terrible condition”, the fiscal depute said.
It was stated that Jazzie had very little fat or muscle coverage over her entire body and was infested with lice.
During the inspection by the SSPCA officer, Jazzie suffered two bouts of diarrhea.
The officer determined that the pony’s lost weight and diarrhea were due to her suffering from a worm burden that caused her severe gut damage.
A neighbour who was spoke to by the SSPCA officer stated that she had seen Emslie in the field caring for the animals but “not often”.
An inspection by a vet found Jazzie to weigh 81kg when a healthy horse of the same age should weigh around 200kg.
They went on to state that Jazzie’s body condition was “one of the worst cases of emaciation they had seen in five years” of working as a vet.
On February 8 2024, Jazzie died as a result of malnutrition and dehydration due to severe diarrhea, caused by the untreated red worm burden.
In the dock, Emslie pleaded guilty to one count of causing an animal unnecessary suffering by an act of omission and a second charge of failing to meet the needs of another seven horses by providing them a suitable environment to live.
Horse owner was struggling with mental health
Defence solicitor Neil McRobert told the court that his client had “no previous convictions” and had been involved with horses from a young age.
He said Emslie had been suffering with mental health problems for number of years prior to this, which had “reached a peak” in 2023.
“Things had gone severely downhill for the horses around this time and that seems to match with when she was significantly struggling with her mental health – she simply became overwhelmed by the situation,” the solicitor said.
“She is completely devastated by what has happened here and has been extraordinarily upset by these matters,
In relation to Jazzie the pony in particular, Mr McRobert said that was “no suggestion that Ms Emslie set out to cause the animal suffering, but her crime was her failure to address matters”.
Sentencing Emslie. Sheriff Morag McLaughlin made subject to a community payback order with supervision and ordered her to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work.
She also banned Emslie, of Menzies Road, Torry, Aberdeen, from keeping animals for 10 years.
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