Tiggy Left For Dᴇᴀᴅ, ‘Wᴏʀsᴛ Pet Case In 15 Years’ – Now She’s A Beautiful Dog Again

One of the Wᴏʀsᴛ cases of animal cruelty investigators have ever encountered included a sick couple who starved their puppy Lurcher to Dᴇᴀᴅ.

It is alleged that three-year-old Tiggy was found abandoned by Kerry Patterson, 35, and Reece Milburn, 30, by the roadside, who later reported the boy to the local council.

In Blyth, Northumberland, an animal welfare officer visited them and said the animal was experiencing “the worst incident he’s seen in his 15 years on the job.” Tiggy is depicted as having very little hair on her body and exposing her ribs protruding from her skinny body.

In addition, she suffered from severe dehydration, rashes and infections, and was so weak that she could not stand. Days before Christmas 2019, Tiggy was found and as grieving photos of her went viral, Northumberland County Council issued a call to find her owner.

A few days later, the council was flooded with letters claiming Tiggy belonged to Patterson and Milburn. The couple admitted to causing unnecessary pain to a protected species when they appeared in court on Thursday, March 3.

In addition, they admitted to forgetting to take care of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, their second dog. A dog has a skin disease and is infected with ticks.

Each was ordered to pay the victim £120 and receive a sentence of 12 weeks in prison and a lifetime ban from owning or caring for animals.

It was “one of the most heinous and egregious acts of animal cruelty the county has ever witnessed,” said Philip Soderquest, a representative for the council.

He continued, “Our animal welfare team works tirelessly to look into cases of animal neglect and abuse and bring offenders to justice.”

“We were adamant that Tiggy’s former owners would have a court date, and although it took two years, we finally got where we are today,” the lawyer stated.

Thanks to the dedication of the staff at Berwick Animal Rescue, Tiggy’s story has a happy ending. She has a new home, a new life with dog friends, and even a new name. She is the image of health and happiness.

 

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