Suspended prison sentence and 10-year animal ban for Castleford woman who 'severely' neglected foal that had to be put to sleep

Carol Summers, aged 60 and of Foss Walk in Castleford, has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after she admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the foal and failing to meet his needs following a prosecution by the RSPCA.

At a sentencing hearing at Kirklees Magistrates Court on December 6, she was also handed a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

Cricket – a young piebald foal – was found tethered in a field in Stansfield Road in Castleford on January 13 after welfare concerns were reported to the RSPCA.

The foal was thin, weighed half his expected body weight, was lethargic and wobbly on his feet with no food, water or shelter available, said the RSPCA.

He was so ill, he could not be saved and had to be put to sleep.

The court heard how RSPCA inspector Kris Walker had visited the field and seen multiple tethered horses but one in particular raised concern.

In a statement to the court, he said: “I saw a tethered young colt. He did not look any older than eight to ten-months-old.

"He was lethargic, wobbly on his feet and very thin with his hips and spine all prominent.

"The rug he was wearing was too big for him and not on properly.

"There was no food, water or shelter readily available for him and he should not have been tethered due to his young age.”

A vet was called out who said Cricket was suffering from dehydration, hyperthermia and diarrhoea.

Summers then arrived on the scene and was told Cricket had been seized by the police because he was suffering and an investigation would be started.

At that point she agreed to sign him over into the care of the RSPCA, telling inspector Walker she’d owned the foal for six weeks and had been given steroids by a vet to treat him, although no record of this was found.

Cricket was initially taken to a nearby veterinary practice before being transferred to a specialist equine hospital.

A vet who gave evidence during the trial said: “There was no shelter available for the foal and no water was provided.

"Overall, this was not a suitable place for the foal to be tethered, nor was the foal of suitable age for tethering.”

Another vet who gave evidence said Cricket was emaciated and estimated to weigh 85 kg (187 pounds) when he was found.

“This foal should have weighed approximately 150 kg.”

Despite receiving extensive ongoing treatment and care, Cricket’s condition did not improve and a vet made the decision that it was in his best interest to put him to sleep.

The court heard that despite Summers telling the RSPCA inspector she had owned Cricket for six weeks, she later disputed this and said it had only been three.

But she agreed she had assumed ownership and had failed to get the foal the care he needed and he had suffered unnecessarily.

Summers was also ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay costs of £400 and a victim surcharge of £154.