An ailing couple has been convicted of starving their dog, Tiggy, nearly to death in one of the most horrific cases of animal cruelty investigators have ever witnessed. Kerry Patterson, 35, and Reece Milburn, 30, initially claimed to have found the three-year-old dog abandoned on the side of the road and reported it to their local council.
When an animal welfare officer visited their home in Blyth, Northumberland, he described Tiggy’s condition as “the worst example he had seen in 15 years of work.” Photographs revealed a dog with barely any fur, her ribs painfully protruding from her emaciated frame. Tiggy was severely dehydrated, suffering from rashes, a dust mite infestation, and too weak to stand on her own.
Discovered just days before Christmas in 2019, Tiggy’s heartbreaking photos quickly went viral, leading Northumberland County Council to launch an appeal to identify her owners. Soon after, the council was flooded with letters identifying Patterson and Milburn as Tiggy’s owners.
On March 3, the couple appeared in North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, where they admitted to inflicting unnecessary suffering on Tiggy and neglecting their other dog, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Enzo, who also suffered from a skin disease and mite infestation. The court sentenced the pair to 12 weeks in prison, banned them from owning or caring for animals for life, and ordered them to pay victim fees of £120 each.
Philip Soderquest, a council spokesperson, called it “one of the most appalling and high-profile examples of animal cruelty the county has ever seen.” He praised the tireless efforts of the animal welfare team for their role in bringing the couple to justice.
Tiggy’s story, however, has a happy ending, thanks to the dedication of the Berwick Animal Rescue Centre team. Now in full health, she enjoys her new life with a loving home, dog friends, and even a new name. Meanwhile, Enzo remains in a kennel, patiently awaiting a permanent home of his own.
