A woman has been banned from keeping dogs for ten years after her severely emaciated Staffordshire bull terrier had to be put to sleep.
Ebony Hoyte-Griffith, 51, of Totton Road, Thornton Heath, Croydon, was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to four-year-old Skylar following an RSPCA investigation and prosecution.
She was sentenced at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on July 24 and handed a 12-month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £614 in costs.
Skylar was taken to a vet in an emaciated and collapsed state on June 22 last year, prompting concerned veterinary staff to contact the RSPCA.
Hoyte-Griffith said the dog had been eating well until the previous night, but had eaten cavity wall insulation the day before.
However, a vet found Skylar had been suffering for many months.
With assistance from police, the dog was seized under the Animal Welfare Act. Her condition deteriorated further the following day and she was euthanised by a vet on welfare grounds.
Skylar was severely emaciated, with a body condition score of just one out of nine. She was unable to stand and had lost nearly all of her muscle mass.
She was also suffering from severe dehydration, repeated vomiting and multiple infected pressure sores caused by being unable to move.
The vet said: “It is my professional opinion that Skylar had undergone an extended period of suffering, over a period of at least three months based on the body condition score but could very likely have been in this state for much longer, up to six months prior.
“It is clear to me that her needs were not being met due to a lack of nutrition and lack of seeking veterinary treatment for her weight loss.”
Skylar had been treated by a different vet months earlier, but Hoyte-Griffith did not return to any veterinary practice when her condition failed to improve.
She was eligible for PDSA-funded veterinary treatment.
Hoyte-Griffith was unable to provide any explanation for the dog’s suffering and continued to deny any wrongdoing.
RSPCA Inspector Sandy Barlow, who led the prosecution, said: “Skylar was left to suffer unnecessarily for a period of months. Had Skylar received prompt veterinary treatment, she may still be alive today.
“This sad case is a reminder to pet owners that they have a legal duty to provide the correct nutrition and veterinary care for their pets. For any pet owners struggling, there’s cost of living advice on the RSPCA’s website.”
The offence took place between March 22 and June 22, 2025.
The court found Hoyte-Griffith had failed to provide adequate nutrition and veterinary treatment for gastrointestinal disease, as well as failing to investigate and address Skylar’s poor bodily condition and weight loss.
She was convicted under Section 4(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
