Michelle Moran claimed she believed the dog had cancer
A woman who drowned her pet dog in a lake after claiming she believed the animal had cancer has been spared jail. Michelle Moran, 63, threw her Jack Russell, Gypsy, into a lake off Gautby Road in Birkenhead, later telling investigators the dog was seriously ill and that she could not afford to put her to sleep.
Gypsy’s body was recovered from the lake by a member of the public on September 29 last year, a day after Moran had disposed of her. Moran, of Kennet Road, Bebington, pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Appearing before Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, May 28, she was sentenced to 17 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. She was also disqualified from keeping animals, placed under a curfew from 6pm to 6am, ordered to complete 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days, and must pay a victim surcharge of £154.
The case was investigated by RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes after the charity received a report on October 30 concerning the death of a small white-and-tan Jack Russell whose body had been pulled from the boating lake more than a month earlier.
When first contacted by the inspector, Moran initially claimed the incident had been an accident. She later admitted Gypsy had become unwell and said she believed the dog had cancer, leading her to take the animal to the lake and throw her into the water.
In a statement presented to the court, Inspector Joynes said: “The defendant said she’d seen on social media the following day that Gypsy had been found dead in the lake and she knew she ‘shouldn’t have done it’.”
Moran said she was sorry for her actions, telling the inspector: “All I remember is throwing her in and walking away.”
During a formal interview, she claimed Gypsy was suffering from tumours and deteriorating eyesight, although neither condition had been confirmed by a veterinary professional.
Inspector Joynes visited the scene and found that the lake was surrounded by a concrete wall which would have made it extremely difficult for a small dog, particularly one that was elderly, weak or unwell, to climb out of the water.
A veterinary examination revealed Gypsy weighed just 3.7kg and had a body condition score of two out of nine, with five considered ideal. The dog was also found to have blood around her mouth and nose.
A veterinary expert who reviewed the evidence concluded Moran had caused unnecessary suffering by failing to seek professional treatment and by deliberately ending Gypsy’s life in an inhumane manner.
“The defendant should have sought assistance if she felt it was time for Gypsy to be euthanised and this should have been carried out in a pain-free and humane manner with veterinary assistance,” the vet said. “Instead she took matters into her own hands, which led to Gypsy suffering and experiencing an inhumane death.”
The court heard Moran had cited financial difficulties as the reason she did not pursue euthanasia through a veterinary practice.
Following the sentencing, Inspector Joynes described the incident as “an extremely callous act”.
“He had a responsibility to seek veterinary care if she believed Gypsy was seriously unwell,” he said. “To take her to a lake and throw her in beggars belief. Poor Gypsy would have suffered a horrendous death.”
