MAN COLLARED ON DOG NEGLECT

FROM SAGGING TO WAGGING: Chi Chi ( above and right) and Keidis before and after they received treatment at the RSPCA. A MAN who stopped feeding his dogs when he was out of work has been fined and banned from owning pets for two years.

When the RSPCA went to Alfred Eric Farkas’ Gulliver home on January 17, they saw two emaciated staffordshire bull terrier crosses – 20month- old Chi Chi and her puppy eight- month- old Keidis.

Farkas told the inspector he had recently obtained work as a sheet metalworker but was unemployed for nine months prior, so he could not afford vet fees.

Farkas pleaded guilty in Townsville Magistrates Court yesterday to two counts of breaching his duty of care to an animal.

Barrister Kelly Stone, for RSPCA Queensland, said Farkas told inspectors Chi Chi had been underweight since giving birth eight months prior.

According to the Statement of Facts, Chi Chi and Keidis were taken to the RSPCA shelter at Bohle and examined by a vet. Both had a mild flea infestation and hookworm and Chi Chi had an infected skin condition, with scabs over her neck, back and chest. Chi Chi weighed 10.5kg and her puppy was 7kg.

Within two weeks the dogs were a healthy weight. On April 10, both dogs weighed 17kg.

Farkas, who represented himself, said the situation had been “terrible”. “I was struggling financially pretty badly,” he said.

Magistrate Peter Smid said he should have taken the dogs to the RSPCA.

“I just had false hope, of my situation getting better,” he said.

Mr Smid said Farkas had been grossly negligent but not deliberately cruel.

“I don’t know if you did your best, and if it was it was an incompetent best, but you didn’t deliberately set out to starve your dogs,” he said.

“I accept that, but it was a gross neglect on your part over quite some period of time and you’re a grown man, you should have known better than to live in false hope.”

Mr Smid said Farkas had no previous criminal history, had co- operated with RSPCA and made an early guilty plea.

He made a two- year prohibition order under the Animal Care and Protection Act, banning Farkas from buying or possessing any animal.

Farkas was also fined $ 1800 and ordered to pay $ 4528 in treatment costs, $ 1200 for professional costs and $ 92.90 in court costs.