A dog is looking for a forever home after being cared for by the RSPCA who rescued her from a Forest of Dean resident who has been found guilty of animal cruelty.

Appearing at Cheltenham Magistrates court, Nicola Jones, 46, of York Road, Cinderford was disqualified indefinitely from keeping or looking after dogs and ordered to pay £330 in fines and costs after being found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a Staffordshire terrier Labrador cross.

The prosecution was brought by Forest of Dean District Council, after finding Miss Jones’s dog, at her home on April 25th, 2017, crated in the kitchen with no water and no bedding. Officers noticed that the dog, named Maisie, appeared to be underweight, with sore patches on her face and legs.

Veterinary reports later confirmed that Maisie was underweight for a dog of her size and breed and with blood tests confirming that there was no medical cause for the weight loss the only conclusion to be drawn was that her condition was due to starvation. The sores on her body were thought to be caused by the bars of her cage, which she was confined to when her owner was out of the house.

Maisie was voluntarily signed over to the care of the RSPCA on May 3rd, 2017, and has since made a full recovery. She is currently looking for her forever home.