A woman who stabbed her 'stupid' pet dog to death after claiming it triggered her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has avoided jail.
Victoria Lodge said she could not cope with Celine, her adopted Macedonian sheepdog.
Lodge posted on social media that she wanted her gone and called her 'demon spawn' after three months of owning the canine.
The 33-year-old contacted a charity helpline threatening to harm herself or the dog – which resulted in a visit by paramedics.
Lodge told the emergency workers that she suffered from PTSD and bipolar disorder which had been triggered by Celine's behaviour, and a paramedic offered to contact the RSPCA on her behalf.
But Lodge was 'hysterical and screaming' and told him she had stabbed her dog when he called with an update the next day.
Lodge, from Bournemouth, Dorset, then went back on social media to declare the dog was dead and called a re-homing shelter that had arranged to take the animal to tell them it wasn't needed.
She pleaded guilty to a charge of animal cruelty but was spared prison by a judge at Bournemouth Crown Court. She was instead disqualified from keeping any animal indefinitely.
Victoria Lodge failed to seek any help for her dog, Celine, after the attack - who had been stabbed in the abdomen with a carving knife
A Macedonian sheepdog, similar to the one stabbed by Victoria Lodge
Judge Jonathan Fuller said Lodge's adoption of Celine was 'ill-advised' given her mental health issues.
Elisa Allen, of the charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), said: 'Stabbing any living being is an appalling act of cruelty, and a lifetime ban on keeping or otherwise associating with animals is essential, but it cannot be the only response to such a horrific act of violence.'
Jade Philippou, prosecuting, told the court on Friday that Lodge adopted Celine in January 2024.
But Ms Philippou said: 'There were a number of social media posts. She referred to the dog as 'demon spawn', 'stupid' and 'unmanageable' and stated she hated Celine.'
After three months she had had enough of the animal and stabbed her on April 15.
The court heard paramedics attended her address along with the police and found the living room 'destroyed' with a trail of blood leading to her stricken dog, who was still breathing and had her eyes open.
She said Lodge failed to seek any help for Celine after the attack, who had been stabbed in the abdomen with a carving knife.
'The paramedics scooped up Celine and took her to the ambulance and packed the wound with hemostatic gauze to which she noticeably groaned,' Ms Philippou added.
'They asked the defendant if she wished to join them in the ambulance to take the dog to the pet hospital. She said: 'Get the f*** out of my house.'
'Despite the best efforts, Celine died. The prosecution say it was a deliberate disregard for welfare.
'She was at the scene for some hours before she died, in severe distress... Appropriate attempts were not made to seek assistance for the dog.
'[Lodge] spent time cleaning some of the blood from the property while the dog lay suffering.'
Laura Deuxberry, defending, said Lodge's social media posts were 'clearly a cry for help' and raised Lodge's mental health difficulties.
A psychiatric report said there was no sign of dissociation or psychosis when Lodge stabbed Celine, but she was likely struggling with 'emotional regulation and impulsivity'.
Ms Deuxberry said Lodge was more stable now and had a support network to move forwards.
She had also signed her two cats over to the RSPCA and did not dispute a ban on keeping animals.
In sentencing, Judge Jonathan Fuller said: 'In any other circumstances, without the explanation of your mental state at the time, this would be regarded as very cruel – even egregious – case of cruelty.
'What you did was get a large carving knife and pushed the knife right through the dog's body, perforating a lung.
'Vets later examined and saw bruising caused by the force of it coming out the other side of the body.
'What you must realise is there is always a choice, even for someone like you, in whether you commit a crime or back off and try to see another way through it.'
He handed Lodge a two-year community order with probation supervision.
Macedonian sheepdogs are large animals bred to protect flocks of sheep from bears and wolves in the Balkan mountains.
Although they are generally affectionate and fiercely loyal to their owners, they are not considered good pets for inexperienced or first-time owners as they are independent and can be hard to train.