NEATH: Dog so emaciated vets couldn’t tell she was pregnant — owner banned from keeping animals for 10 years

Warning: this article contains images and details of animal suffering that some readers may find distressing.

A Neath man has been banned from keeping animals for ten years after his pregnant dog was found so emaciated that vets could not tell she was carrying puppies.

Matthew Mark Andrews, 31, of Henry Street, Neath, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Animal Welfare Act at Swansea Magistrates’ Court.

He was sentenced on Thursday 2 July to 12 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 20 rehabilitation activity days, pay £400 in costs — and disqualified from keeping all animals for a decade.

The court heard Andrews had failed to investigate or address the weight loss and deteriorating condition of his dog Pandora, who became extremely underweight, with her spine and ribs clearly visible.

In a statement provided to the court, a vet said the PDSA received a call from Andrews on 21 November last year, saying Pandora had not eaten for four or five days and had lost weight. He was told to bring her in immediately.

“I was presented with a female, tan coloured Shar Pei type dog called Pandora of about five years old,” the vet said.

“Pandora was extremely underweight with her spine, ribs and hips easily visible. She had a body score of one out of five, where one is emaciated, five is obese and three is normal.”

Pandora weighed 18.4kg — down from 25kg in August 2023, when records showed no concern about her weight.

The vet said she had no fat reserves left, and the emaciation was so chronic that her muscles had severely wasted, indicating long-term suffering.

“The emaciation was so severe that it was impossible to tell that the dog was close to full-term pregnancy,” they said, adding that her skin was in “horrific condition” with a chronic yeast infection.

When Pandora was scanned — vets suspected an infection of the womb — the scan showed she was carrying seven to nine puppies.

She was also found to have a twisted section of small intestine, and underwent emergency surgery to remove it. When a further blockage developed after the operation, vets concluded she was too weak to survive another major surgery, and she was put to sleep. Her puppies also died.

It was the vet’s professional opinion that Pandora had been suffering, and that treatment should have been sought promptly for her skin and body condition. In mitigation, the court heard Andrews was remorseful and accepted he should have acted sooner.

Andrews also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to bail, receiving a two-week suspended sentence to run concurrently.

Following sentencing, RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Gemma Cooper said: “This is a very sad case with a tragic ending for Pandora and her puppies.”

“We’d like to thank the veterinary practice for their assistance here in what must have been an upsetting incident to deal with,” she said. “All animals deserve to be treated with kindness and should have their needs met. Anyone who is struggling should seek help.”

It is the second lengthy ban handed to a local pet owner this month, after a Swansea man was banned from keeping animals for 15 years when his Jack Russells were left dangerously obese.