A woman from Battersea has been jailed for 35 weeks for leaving her dog trapped for three days after it fell down the shaft of a riser cupboard.

The dog had fallen the height of an entire floor into the shaft which contains cabling for the main services in apartment blocks.

Cindy Hancock, 36, appeared via video link at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Friday, August 26.

She was sentenced to 35 weeks imprisonment and disqualified from owning all animals for 10 years.

London Fire Brigade and the RSPCA were called to carry out a rescue of a black Spaniel dog in December 2021 after it had been trapped in the service shaft for three days.

After the rescue, RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Mat Hawkins examined the Spaniel named Maya as well as a second dog at the property, known as Oscar.

He had concerns he had for the dogs’ welfare and transported them to a local vet to be examined with consent from Hancock.

ARO Hawkins said: “Cindy Hancock showed me the hole where Maya was stuck down and confirmed that the dog had been there for three days before she called fire and rescue.

“The hole was so deep I didn’t manage to see the bottom of the area.”

Both dogs were transferred to RSPCA Finsbury Park Animal Hospital as they were underweight and had eye infections.

A vet at the practice said that both dogs were suffering.

Cindy Hancock, formerly of Charlotte Despard Avenue in Battersea, was found guilty of five offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 following a trial.

The vet explained that Oscar “was clearly underweight on presentation and his blood profile fitted with a diagnosis of malnutrition” but he “gained a substantial amount of weight during his stay at Finsbury Park RSPCA”.

Oscar had “a painful eye condition which went untreated by the owner, and they had therefore failed in their duty to prevent unnecessary suffering in this animal”.

The ulcer was treated using antibiotic eye drops and eye gel – which healed well with treatment.

Speaking about the spaniel Maya, the vet said: “It is deeply concerning that the dog was left in a service shaft for that period of time, during which her needs were not met and she would have suffered both physically and psychologically.

“It is extremely clear in this case that through ignoring the eye injury, failing to provide adequate nutrition and failing to rescue the dog from the service shaft as quickly as possible, the owner’s actions have resulted in significant and unnecessary suffering.”

Both Oscar and Maya recovered well with treatment and both dogs have found loving homes.