A woman who failed to provide veterinary attention to her horse leading to her death has been given a ten-year ban on owning any animal except the care of pet dogs.
Louise Emslie, from Skene, Aberdeenshire, pled guilty to causing a two-year-old female grey Welsh pony named Jazzie, unnecessary suffering by failing to provide veterinary attention which caused her to suffer severe worm burden, emaciation and septicemia – ultimately leading to her death.
She also admitted a charge of neglect in respect of a total of seven horses.
Emslie was sentenced at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Tuesday 11 March. She was given a Community Payback Order for 225 hours to be completed within 12 months. She was also disqualified from owning animals for 10 years except for the care of dogs.
A Scottish SPCA Inspector reported: “We received concerns about the welfare of an emaciated pony in a field at Strawberry Field Road, Skene in Aberdeenshire. The caller stated the pony was very thin, looked in pain and had ongoing diarrhoea for several days.
“We attended that same day and entered the field to examine the pony named Jazzie. It was a relatively small field for the number of horses with minimal grazing. Jazzie’s back end and pink rug was very obviously covered in bright green diarrhoea which could be seen from a distance. We removed Jazzie’s rug to reveal her emaciated condition, every bony prominence was visibly evident. Jazzie had lice in her coat, looked uncomfortable, was in a hunched stance and moved slowly looking very weak.
“We immediately phoned a local vet to attend. Emslie was registered with this vet, but they had not seen or treated any of her horses since January 2023.
“Jazzie was quiet, alert and slowly responsive while being examined. The tail was matted with wet bright green diarrhoea, and she was stood in a tucked-up stance. There was no apparent fat or muscle coverage over the entire body. Live lice were easily found in hair coat.
“Jazzie sadly passed away the next day despite veterinary intervention. Her condition was too severe, and it was clear she was left to deteriorate and suffer for too long and she eventually succumbed to her condition.
“We are disappointed at the sentencing today. Jazzie suffered greatly from numerous veterinary problems that could have been prevented. The welfare and treatment of her should have resulted in a lifetime ban of ALL animals.”
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