CONVICTED (2018) | Melanie Elizabeth Raymond, born c. 1963, of Collingwood Close, Cramlington NE23 1HW – failed to seek medical attention for her dog, who had a large tumour tied together with string Melanie Raymond admitted causing unnecessary suffering to her Labrador-cross, named Lilly, under s9(1) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The case was brought to court by Northumberland County Council. When one of the authority’s animal welfare officers found the dog last year, her skin was red raw and she had little fur left on it. The stricken dog had a large tumour – 20cm in length – between her back legs, which was tied up with string and almost touched the ground when she walked. Her nails were also severely overgrown. Thankfully, she was plucked from despair by the animal welfare team and handed into the loving arms of Alnwick-based dog sanctuary SHAK. So bad was her condition, that the charity’s founder, Stephen Wylie, described it as one of the worst cases of neglect/mistreatment he had ever seen. Lilly  has made a full recovery and has since been re-homed with a man in north Northumberland – and is loving life again. The animal welfare officer who found Lilly said: “When I first saw the dog I was appalled at the condition she was in and she had obviously been in great discomfort for quite some time. “We seized the dog and took her to St Clair Veterinary Care, in Blyth, where she was given antibiotics and steroids and where she returned at a later date for surgery on her tumour. ” Mr Wylie said: “While I am a firm believer that stiffer sentences are desperately needed for those that inflict such terrible suffering to any animal, it is great that a little justice has been served. “Lilly is such a loving soul that didn’t deserve to face such neglect, but we have found her the perfect companion now, and that’s what really matters.” Sentence: 120 hours of unpaid community service; fined £626. Banned from keeping animals for 10 years (expires January 2028).  Chronicle Live ITV News