THIS CREATURE THREW HER ELDERLY DOG IN A LAKE & DROWNED HER
🚨 CONVICTED | Michelle Moran, 63, from #bebington, #wirral, Merseyside - drowned her elderly dog in a lake.
On September 29, 2025, Moran threw her 16-year-old Jack Russell, Gypsy, into a boating lake off Gautby Road in #birkenhead and callously walked away, leaving her to drown. The dog's body was recovered from the lake by a member of the public a day later and an appeal was posted to Facebook.
In a statement presented to the court, RSPCA Inspector Anthony Joynes, who investigated for the animal charity, said: "[Moran] said she'd seen on social media the following day that Gypsy had been found dead in the lake and she knew she 'shouldn't have done it'."
Moran said she was sorry for her actions, telling the inspector: "All I remember is throwing her in and walking away."
She claimed Gypsy was suffering from tumours and deteriorating eyesight, although neither condition had been confirmed by a veterinary professional.
Inspector Joynes visited the scene and found that the lake was surrounded by a concrete wall which would have made it extremely difficult for a small dog, particularly one that was elderly, weak or unwell, to climb out of the water.
A veterinary examination revealed Gypsy weighed just 3.7kg. She was also found to have blood around her mouth and nose.
The court heard Moran had cited financial difficulties as the reason she did not pursue euthanasia through a veterinary practice.
Following the sentencing, Inspector Joynes described the incident as "an extremely callous act".
"She had a responsibility to seek veterinary care if she believed Gypsy was seriously unwell," he said. "To take her to a lake and throw her in beggars belief. Poor Gypsy would have suffered a horrendous death."
Sentencing | 17 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months; curfew; 25 days of 'rehabilitation'. Lifetime ban.
Source UKACF.