Woman who starved dog to death banned from ever owning pets

A woman has been banned from keeping Pets for life after starving a one-year-old dog and refusing to get appropriate veterinary treatment for him

A Kingston Upon Thames woman was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering on September 22 when her dog died of starvation at a vet after she refused treatment. Garineh Azarian brought one-year-old Havanese dog, Coco, to the vet after he was vomiting on October 15 but would not let the vets give him antibiotics when they were made aware of his emaciated condition.

Coco died shortly after this. Azarian told RSPCA inspectors she had been feeding Coco a ‘detox’ raw food and plant-based diet amounting to 3% of his body weight of 3kg since March 2022. She believed his scratching was due to overeating and acid in his diet, and that the hair and weight loss was a normal response to detoxing. She also stated she does not believe in vaccinations, antibiotics or worming.

“When we arrived, I thought that the dog looked dead already,” RSPCA inspector Francesca Tambini said. She added: “The dog looked like a skeleton. A few minutes after we arrived, the dog passed away.

“Veterinary staff tried to resuscitate poor Coco but were sadly unsuccessful. One vet was extremely upset and crying.”

Francesca, who said Coco was the thinnest dog she’d ever seen, attended the vet practice with another RSPCA inspector Dale Grant with a view to having Coco seized into police custody.

A vet who treated Coco said: “We were concerned that Coco could not have had appropriate veterinary care in the past given the extreme condition of the dog. Despite the investigation and intensive treatment that Coco had with us, I believe that he was suffering prior to arrival and it was far too late to be able to save him.”

Owner Azarian was handed an indefinite ban on keeping Animals at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on Friday 22 September as well as, £1150 prosecution costs, £114 victim surcharge, and a 12-month community order to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.

Following Coco’s death, a vet said: “Post-mortem examination supports that chronic malnutrition resulting in emaciation of the animal which had not been investigated resulted in the pet’s death. There was also evidence of a high lungworm burden which is a preventable disease with the use of routine worming treatments.

“In my opinion, the dog’s needs were not being met as per the DEFRA code – the owner failed to recognise signs of malnutrition/weight loss/poor condition, and seek veterinary advice within a reasonable time frame or make adequate provisions which allowed their condition to deteriorate, and ultimately caused suffering and death.”

Azarian did not accept that Coco suffered or accept responsibility for his condition. On sentencing, the magistrate said that veterinary evidence clearly showed Coco did suffer, and with the right intervention, he could have survived and lived for a number of years. In mitigation, the court heard Azarian was of previous good character and was a vulnerable person.

Sam Gaines, the RSPCA’s dog welfare expert, said: “Dogs need to eat a diet suitable for their age, lifestyle and health status and should be fed at least once a day, unless advised otherwise by a vet. We’d recommend feeding a complete dog food to ensure it meets your dog’s nutritional needs. Further information on dog nutrition is available on the UK Pet Food website.

“If you are unsure what the best diet for your Pet is it’s a good idea to speak to your vet for advice.”