Jailed: Bilston man left his dog with scabs and inflamed skin all over her body
A Bilston man has been given an eight-week prison sentence and banned from keeping animals for six years for severely neglecting a dog suffering from a long-standing, painful skin condition.
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David Roberts, aged 32, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Animal Welfare Act of causing unnecessary suffering to ‘Honey’ a female Dogue de Bordeaux.
Birmingham Magistrates Court heard in January 2024, the RSPCA, accompanied by the police, visited Roberts' address in Wallace Road, Bilston to carry out an animal welfare check.
His mother let the RSPCA and the police into the property.
Three dogs were inside and Honey had lost most of her fur, had inflamed skin and scabs all over her body. Two Shih Tzu’s were in reasonable body condition, though needed grooming.
RSPCA Inspector Fiona Howell said: “On the stairs leading up from the front door and in the living room, there were multiple piles of faeces.
“Honey had 90-95 per-cent fur loss. Her skin was pink and flaky and she had scabs over her body which were worse around her neck.
"Lynn who answered the door told me Honey belonged to her son, who was currently in police custody. She consented for the dog to be taken to the RSPCA’s Newbrook Animal Hospital for a veterinary examination.”
The vet confirmed she was suffering from Demodectic Mange - or Demodex - a skin condition in dogs caused by mites which causes hair loss and serious and painful skin problems.
She also found Honey’s skin was severely inflamed and itchy, and she had lost a lot of fur. She had scabs and sores along her spinal area. Both her ears were very inflamed, with discharge and were painful when touched.
It was concluded Honey's dermatitis and fur loss with itchy skin would have been present for longer than two weeks and would have caused unnecessary suffering due to the irritation of the skin
Honey was quickly started on medication to treat the skin condition and later rehomed but was diagnosed with cancer while undergoing a procedure at the vets and eventually put down.
Roberts was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154 within 28 days of his eventual release from prison, and given a six year ban on keeping all animals at the sentencing hearing at Birmingham Magistrates Court on 16 April.
RSPCA Inspector Fiona Howell said: “Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive care and treatment from veterinary experts when they need it. Honey was clearly in pain and in desperate need of help to treat her skin condition.
“Pets are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy. Owning an animal is a privilege - and ensuring appropriate veterinary care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards our pets.
“If people are struggling, there are a number of charities which provide help for veterinary care for pet owners.”
