Couple appear in court charged with attempting to drown Bella the dog in the River Trent at Farndon
A couple have appeared before magistrates charged with animal cruelty offences following the discovery of Bella the dog weighted down, almost fully submerged and near-drowned in the River Trent at Farndon.
Bella was found and rescued by a dog walker on January 6 of this year and has been in the care of the RSPCA.
Bella's discovery caused revulsion nationally.
Leigh Johnson, 32, and Charlene Latham, 31, formerly of Newark, but now in Ilfracombe, Devon, were jointly charged with an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and appeared before Nottingham magistrates.
The charge states that on, or about January 6, 2020, at Newark in the county of Nottinghamshire caused unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, namely German Shepherd type bitch — Bella — by an act, namely by attempting to drown the dog resulting in the animal being immersed in the cold water of the River Trent for a prolonged period, and you knew, or ought to have reasonably known, that the act would have that effect, or be likely to do so.
The case against them was adjourned until May 12 in the afternoon before the same court.
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