A woman from Birkenhead, Carys Scott, has been banned from keeping animals for ten years after failing to seek veterinary care for her emaciated XL Bully dog, Marlow.
Sentenced at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on 13 November, Scott admitted to neglecting the dog, which had deteriorated over at least 30 days to a collapsed and malnourished state.
Marlow weighed just 17.5kg – half his expected body weight – and was unable to walk or stand when taken to the Friends of Birkenhead Kennels on 23 March. A vet gave him the lowest possible body condition score of one out of nine. The dog had pressure sores, inflamed ears, and necrotic tissue from ear cropping, a procedure illegal in England and Wales. Despite efforts to stabilise him, Marlow’s condition did not improve, and he was euthanised to prevent further suffering four days later.
The RSPCA investigated after it emerged that the dog had not been abandoned at Port Sunlight River Park, as initially claimed, but had been living with Scott. She told RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes that Marlow had been left at her home in mid-February by a former partner. Scott said she fed the dog and tried to help him stand but did not seek veterinary care due to financial constraints and concerns about the legal status of XL Bully dogs.
A post-mortem examination found no underlying gastrointestinal diseases to explain the severe weight loss. A vet involved in the case stated that “a reasonable owner would act upon this”, and concluded that Marlow had suffered unnecessarily due to Scott’s inaction.
In addition to the ban, Scott was sentenced to a 12-month Community Order and required to complete ten Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days.
Inspector Joynes commented, “This was an incredibly sad case and I’d like to thank the Friends of Birkenhead Kennels for taking Marlow in as an emergency and trying to save his life. This dog was failed by the person responsible for his basic welfare. Being starved to the point of muscle atrophy and collapse is just unacceptable.
“We may never know the full story of what actually happened and why Marlow was in the condition he was in but I’m hoping this investigation and conviction means that the suffering he endured hasn’t gone completely unanswered.”
Reports of intentional harm to dogs reported to be XL Bullies increased by 164% in the first eight months of this year, according to figures released by the RSPCA in September. The number of reports made to the charity of intentional harm to XL Bullies in the first eight months of 2024 was 103, compared to 39 in the same time period in 2023 – shortly before the ban on XL Bullies was announced, marking a rise of 164%.
