'Heartbreaking consequences': Leeds couple banned for animal cruelty after dead dog found in basement
A Leeds couple have been banned indefinitely from keeping animals after a shocking case of animal cruelty was uncovered by the RSPCA
Warning: This article contains distressing images
A couple from Leeds have been banned from keeping animals indefinitely after a dog was found dead in their care.
James Burge, aged 34, and Bethany Silverthorne, aged 26, of Bellbrooke Place in Harehills, were sentenced at Kirklees Magistrates' Court on July 30 after pleading guilty to two counts of animal welfare offences.
Animal welfare charity RSPCA and a police officer visited the pair’s home on October 24, 2025, after finding the body of a “brindle shepherd type dog” called Finn in the basement.
James Metcalfe, the Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) who attended, told the court: “I went into the basement and saw the deceased dog. [He] appeared underweight and there was a lot of dried faeces on the floor along with an empty bowl.”
The court also heard from a vet, who described photographs showing the condition Finn’s body was found in and pointed to soiled, unhygienic and damp areas, with what appeared to be decomposing dog faeces on the floor.
The vet added: “There was no visible proper bedding, finished flooring or other accommodations to provide appropriate sanitation, or comfort… [Finn] appears to be in thin body condition with the ribcage protruding, a marked tummy tuck and poor muscle mass evident, especially in the hindlimbs."
Pathologists’ findings concluded that “the lack of ingested food material through the digestive tract, indicates that [Finn] had not had food for at least 48-57 hours before death.”
Following the discovery of Finn, RSPCA inspector Hannah Williams visited the defendants’ premises on several occasions to conduct interviews.
During one visit on January 16, she reported seeing an underweight cat with thinning fur outside.
“I scanned her for a microchip at the time but she did not have one… I [also] knocked on neighbours' doors to try and locate an owner,” she said.
Unable to locate an owner, Williams brought the cat, named Luna, to RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital, where she was found to be underweight and very hungry.
It was later confirmed that Luna belonged to Burge and Silverthorne.
The court heard from the vet who treated Luna, who said she was very underweight, with “bright pink gums likely due to stress” and “her coat was thin with some scabbing on her back.” She weighed 2.48kg and “appeared to be very hungry in the consult room and ate some liver paste ravenously.”
Within two days of arriving at the RSPCA, Luna gained 200g, which “demonstrates her ability to gain weight when on an appropriate diet… [suggesting] that her undercondition was likely due to malnutrition/underfeeding”, the vet concluded.
The court also heard that the RSPCA had previously attempted to intervene to improve the welfare of Finn and Luna. In June 2025, officers visiting the couple advised them to seek veterinary attention.
Upon returning the following month, the couple had taken the RSPCA’s advice, and Finn had received treatment for fur loss and fleas, while Luna was “bright, active and alert and appeared in a normal body condition”.
The couple were handed an indefinite ban on keeping animals, which they cannot contest for ten years, along with a 26-week jail sentence, suspended for two years.
They were also ordered to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £154 each. Burge was also ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work in the community.
Mitigating, the court was told that Burge is responsible for providing for a young and growing family. And although Finn was a “much-loved” family pet, the family had suffered a bereavement and struggled to cope, leading to their benefits being stopped.
Silverthorne, the court heard, lacked wider family support and suffered from mental health issues.
After sentencing, Inspector Williams said: “This was a very upsetting case to investigate, especially as Finn’s condition had begun to improve in 2025, but sadly deteriorated drastically with heartbreaking consequences.
“We want to prevent other animals going through the suffering that he did.”