Two dog owners in the Black Country have been prohibited from keeping animals for ten years after neglecting their pets, resulting in unbearable suffering that forced the dogs to be put down. Sandy and Isabel suffered from severe untreated skin and eye diseases, as well as rotten teeth.
When RSPCA inspectors visited Doreen and Ian Yarnold’s home in Oldbury, they encountered a strong ammonia smell and a heavy fly infestation. RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Baljit Dhamia, accompanied by the local authority’s environmental health team, described the heartbreaking scene.
“I saw a hairless dog named Sandy curled up on an armchair. He was constantly itching, with thick, cracked skin covered in sores and only a small patch of hair between his eyes. His eyes were gunked up with grey discharge, and he was lethargic and unresponsive,” Officer Dhamia reported.
READ MORE: 24-Hour Gym in Former West Bromwich Steelworks Site Faces Appeal After Council Rejection
READ MORE: West Midlands Council Tax Increase April 2026 – What You Need to Know
On another chair lay Isabel. “Her eyes were closed and appeared glued shut with thick green discharge. Her lower back was hairless with thick, scaly skin, large open sores weeping and bleeding,” he added.
Mrs. Yarnold claimed the dogs had previously seen a vet but ceased returning after treatments failed. However, a veterinary examination revealed far worse conditions. The vet’s report stated, “Both dogs exhibited marked skin disease visible from a distance, particularly Sandy, who had almost no normal skin remaining. The skin changes were chronic, including thickening and pigmentation. Both dogs were extremely itchy and continuously scratched themselves.”
The vet condemned the owners’ lack of care: “A reasonable owner would have sought veterinary help for the dogs' skin conditions and discomfort well before they became chronic. Both dogs also suffered ocular disease consistent with dry eye, especially Isabel, who had no tear production, marked pigmentation, and had lost her vision. The severity of these untreated conditions caused irreversible damage.”
Medications and treatments such as prednisolone, medicated shampoos, ectoparasite control, lubricating eye drops, and other ocular medications could have prevented the suffering.
Ian Alexander Yarnold, 72, and Doreen Elizabeth Yarnold, 66, pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences. Besides the two dogs, they owned 10 cats, six kittens, two turtles, a parrot, and fish — all of which have been taken into RSPCA care for rehoming.
Along with the 10-year animal ownership ban, the couple received an 18-month community order with rehabilitation activity and were fined costs and victim surcharge. Ian Yarnold did not attend sentencing. Mrs. Yarnold said they had “tried their best.”
RSPCA Inspector Vicki Taylor emphasized the importance of proper pet care: “Animals depend completely on their owners for their safety and health. Owning a pet is a privilege that demands responsibility. Dogs experience pain and suffering just like humans and deserve kindness and compassion. We urge pet owners struggling to care for their animals to seek help from local charities or organizations.”