STIRLING WOMAN BANNED FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY AFTER RABBIT STARVATION
A woman named Lynsey McMartin, aged 26, from Whins of Milton near Stirling, was involved in the neglect and killing of her children's pet rabbit.She admitted to starving the rabbit to death after fleeing from an abusive partner.
The incident was brought to court where she was banned from keeping animals for five years and fined £150.
The Stirling Sheriff Court heard that McMartin left the rabbit locked in a garden hutch without food or water from 26 September to 1 October 2008.
The dead animal was discovered only after neighbors contacted the SSPCA.
When tracked down by the animal welfare charity, she told an inspector, "I was nowhere near to deal with it and I had other things on my mind." Her defense lawyer explained that the rabbit was bought for her children but they lost interest, leaving her responsible for its care.
McMartin pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering by neglecting to provide wholesome nutrition, specifically for starving the rabbit.
The court acknowledged that she was under domestic pressures but emphasized her neglect resulted in the animal's death.
Sheriff Andrew Cubie noted, "The fact remains that this rabbit was effectively starved to death by reason of your neglect." The Scottish SPCA described the ban as the 'ultimate sanction' and considered it appropriate for this case.
