Get you up to speed: Neglected dog hadn’t been fed for weeks and was found covered in faeces | News UK
Rebecca Ferguson, 24, was banned from owning animals for 10 years after admitting to causing unnecessary suffering to her severely emaciated Cockapoo, Nancy, at her home in Silk Court, Forres. Police found Nancy in appalling conditions on 1 March 2026, weighing just 8.2kg and covered in faeces, leading to her rescue by the Scottish SPCA.
Rebecca Ferguson has been ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and is subject to one year of supervision following her guilty plea for causing unnecessary suffering to her dog. Nancy, the black Cockapoo, was found emaciated and has since recovered, now weighing a healthy 12.6kg after being rehomed.
Rebecca Ferguson, 24, has been banned from owning animals for 10 years and ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work following her admission of causing unnecessary suffering to her dog, Nancy. Sheriff David Harvie described the neglect as “horrific” and noted that Ferguson’s failure to act was significantly severe, while Nancy has since recovered and been rehomed.
What remains unclear — The long-term impact of Rebecca Ferguson’s addiction on her ability to care for animals remains unaddressed.
Woman banned from owning animals for 10 years after dog found neglected
A woman whose dog was found severely emaciated and covered in faeces has been banned from owning animals for 10 years.
Rebecca Ferguson, 24, appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court after admitting responsibility for causing unnecessary suffering to the black Cockapoo, named Nancy.
The court heard that Nancy had been subjected to a ‘prolonged period of neglect’, with the two-year-old dog weighing just 8.2kg (1st2lb) when she was rescued.
Procurator fiscal Shameila Ghafar told the court that police attended Ferguson’s home at Silk Court, Forres, on March 1, 2026, after receiving a call expressing concern for her welfare.
Inside the property, officers found Nancy in a spare room with a strong smell of urine and faeces, while the dog herself was covered in faeces.
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There was no food in the room and the water bowl was covered in mould.
Nancy’s fur was described as ‘severely matted’, while officers could see protruding bones and bald patches on her hind legs which she had been chewing at herself.
Clumps of fur were found across the room and officers established that there was no dog food anywhere in the property.
Ferguson told police she had run out of food the previous day. However, officers concluded that Nancy had ‘likely not been fed for weeks’.
Arrangements were made for a friend of Ferguson’s to take the dog before a Scottish SPCA inspector collected her and transported her to Vets Now in Aberdeen.
The inspector was ‘taken aback’ by Nancy’s condition, describing her as a ‘bag of bones’ and ‘like a skeleton’.
A veterinary surgeon found that Nancy’s fur was matted from ‘head to toe’, with faeces embedded throughout it. In some areas, the matting was so dense that Nancy’s skin could not be seen.
The vet said the dog had most likely been lying in her own faeces for some time on a hard, flat surface, suggesting she had not been getting outside.
One Scottish SPCA inspector said that Nancy was one of the ‘thinnest dogs they had seen in their 18 years of service’.
She was so emaciated that the inspector could wrap their hands around Nancy’s neck with some overlap and could do the same around her waist.
Nancy had a body condition score of just 1 out of 9 – a score indicating an emaciated and severely underweight animal. The court heard she should have weighed at least 12kg.
Her eyes and ears could not be seen beneath the dense matting. Because of the extent of her suffering, the vet decided not to delay removing the matted fur.
The condition of the coat was so severe that the dematting process could not be carried out while Nancy was conscious.
Further examinations on March 2 revealed that Nancy was anaemic and suffering from fleas, ear mites and periodontal disease – a bacterial infection which damages the gums, ligaments and bone supporting the teeth.
The vet concluded that Nancy had experienced around three months of inadequate nutrition to reach the condition in which she was found and that Ferguson had failed to take any steps to prevent her suffering.
The matter was reported to the procurator fiscal and Ferguson was cautioned and charged on March 23.
The court heard that Nancy has since made a recovery. She now weighs a healthy 12.6kg, has been rehomed and is described as ‘thriving’.
Defence solicitor Megan Lee told the court she had ‘no words to mitigate the condition of this dog’. She said the case involved ‘failing to act’ rather than intentional cruelty but added that there was ‘little difference’.
Ms Lee said Ferguson had been in the throes of a ‘Class A addiction’ at the time of the offending. She has since been sober for three months and has had time to reflect on the suffering experienced by her former pet.
‘This will haunt her for many years if not the rest of her life,’ the solicitor said.
Sheriff David Harvie said: ‘What this poor dog went through was horrific. This is a case caused by incredible neglect. The neglect is really significant. Extreme.’
Ferguson of Forres, Moray, was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and placed under supervision for one year. She was also banned from owning any animals for 10 years.