Tahira Bano given suspended sentence after dumping her starved and dying dog on the street

Tahira Bano, 37, from Rochdale has been sentenced to an 18 week prison sentence, suspended for two years and 100 hours of unpaid work after she was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

She has also been banned from keeping dogs for 15 years and has been ordered to pay £2,000 in costs.

It is understood that Bano, of Cronkeyshaw Road, left her Staffordshire Bull Terrier on the road wrapped in a blanket before contacting police claiming that she had found the female dog.

An officer attended and found the animal weighed 8.5kg – almost half of the 15kg normal weight for her breed and size.

As a result of hypothermia, the dog’s heart rate was so low that it could hardly be measured. Due to this, vets decided that the dog, believed to be between six and eight years old, would have to be destroyed on welfare grounds.

Bano was later interviewed under police caution and was summonsed to appear at Bury Magistrates Court. She insisted that the dog was not hers and denied causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Commenting on the case, RSPCA inspector Jason Bowles said: “The aggravating feature here is that she denied that this was her dog, which to me is despicable.
"It was extremely sad that the dog had to be put to sleep in this instance, but we rely on the advice of independent veterinary professionals to tell us what is best for the animal's welfare and we couldn't ignore that.

“However, thanks to the help of the public who provided the RSPCA with vital information, hopefully no more dogs will suffer at the hands of this lady."

It is understood that the RSPCA had previously visited Bano on three occasions in 2011 and 2012 after complaints from the public about the welfare of a dog at her address.