Woman who buried puppy alive in a shallow grave avoids a jail sentence

Ten-week-old Spencer was discovered by a dog walker buried alive and stuffed in a black bin bag with two fractured legs.

The woman, from Leyland, has now been banned from keeping animals and was handed a suspended jail sentence for failing to get veterinary treatment for the puppy, called Spencer.

Inga Ozola, 45, of Seven Stars Road, appeared at Preston Magistrates’ Court last month and was found guilty following a trial.

She was sentenced on Thursday.

RSPCA Inspector Alison Fletcher, who investigated the disturbing incident, was told that a Pomeranian-type male puppy had been found by a member of the public on April 27 2019, buried in the ground.

The puppy was wrapped in a ripped bin liner, with serious injuries, which vets later diagnosed as two fractured legs and nerve damage from two separate incidents.

The puppy was buried alive in a remote location near Worden Park and was found by a couple and their dogs, who had sniffed out the puppy before the couple brought the dog home.

Inspector Fletcher said: “The spot was far off the well-walked track and deeper into an undergrowth area.

"The ground the puppy was buried in was very much hidden away and the fact that he had been spotted was extremely lucky.

"In my opinion the area was chosen to ensure that no one was likely to see him.

"A shallow hole was present with straight edging which gave thought to the fact that this may have been done with a tool rather than scraped by hand.

"I was aware that the puppy had been found wrapped in a bin liner but this bin liner had been left behind when the puppy was rescued and was no longer at the site now.”

The couple who found the partially buried puppy contacted the RSPCA, and Spencer was taken to the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital in Salford for urgent treatment, where it was discovered that he had two broken legs and was suffering from nerve damage.

Despite the best efforts of the vet team to save him, and after seeking a second opinion, sadly it was decided that the kindest thing to do was to put him to sleep to end his suffering on April 29, 2019.

Around a week later, Inspector Fletcher attended Vets4Pets surgery in Leyland where she was informed by the vets that the photos of the puppy seen in the press appeal had a strong resemblance to a puppy that had recently been treated at the surgery.

Inspector Fletcher added: “It was also confirmed that the owner of this puppy had now advised the practice he had been rehomed.

"The x-rays of this puppy were shared with the RSPCA vet who confirmed a strong resemblance between the x-rays of the puppy being treated at Vets4Pets and the x-ray of Spencer - which we now know were the same puppy.”

Spencer's owner was tracked down and interviewed about what happened.

It was discovered that Ozola had bred a litter of Pomeranians and Spencer had injured his leg whilst playing with the other dogs.

The seven-week-old had been taken to Vets4Pets by Ozola on April 8 2019 and an x-ray revealed he had a fracture of the right tibia.

Pain relief was administered and Spencer was confined to a cage to allow his leg to rest and heal.

Later, on April 23, Spencer was returned to the vets for a follow-up examination and a further x-ray showed that the fracture had been displaced.

The owner was given the option of surgical repair at a cost of £2,000, or amputation of the limb, or euthanasia.

The court heard how Ozola had returned home with Spencer to consider her options and had subsequently applied for financial assistance to help with the costs but was unfortunately not eligible.

It was heard that Inspector Fletcher had been told Spencer was given away on the morning of April 27 2019, to an acquaintance of Ozola's.

However, no surname or contact details for the man who had taken Spencer was ever provided as Ozola told the vets that the man wanted to give the puppy a home and was going to take him back to Lithuania for treatment.

CCTV footage of Ozola, which was shown in court, showed the dog owner walking towards the area where Spencer was buried on the morning of April 27 2019, and returning to her house 30 minutes later.

When asked what was being carried in the backpack she was wearing, she told the officer it was a bottle of water.

The vet report stated that at the time of sustaining a fracture to the right hind limb tibia on April 8, the owner of the puppy had acted in a reasonable manner and taken Spencer for veterinary treatment.

However, some time subsequent to April 23, Spencer had sustained a second fracture of the right forelimb and there is no evidence to indicate that veterinary care was provided for this additional injury.

The report said: “It is therefore my opinion that Spencer would have suffered as a consequence of the fractured right forelimb humerus.

"Spencer would have experienced pain for a period of at least a number of hours, possibly longer.

"It is my opinion that Spencer would have been caused to suffer by the person wrapping him in a black plastic bin liner and partially burying him in the ground while still alive.

"He would have suffered fear and distress for a period of time that cannot be determined from the evidence provided.”

Ozola was found guilty of two charges - for burying the puppy she was sentenced to 18 weeks in custody, suspended for 18 months, and for causing unnecessary suffering by not taking the dog back to the vets for treatment was sentenced to six weeks in custody, suspended for 18 months, to run concurrently.

She was also banned from keeping all animals for 18 months and ordered to pay £2,000 in costs, as well as carrying out 120 hours of unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

A confiscation order was also made for her two pet dogs and arrangements are being made to transfer the ownership and responsibility for the dogs to an appropriate person.

Insp Fletcher added: “This was a tragic case in which a young puppy suffered, by not receiving the vetinary treatment he needed for his injuries and then by being subjected to being buried alive.

"This case had a profound and lasting effect on all those involved from the members of the public who found Spencer, myself and my fellow officers involved in investigating and the RSPCA vets and staff.”