Cruel and heartless
Neglected dog too sick to stand up
A callous dog owner neglected his limping, emaciated and sores-covered golden retriever so badly it could barely stand up.
Cruel Thomas McLaughlin, 54, deliberately ignored the plight of his pet dog Prince, even though it had lost most of its coat, it was covered in sores, its paws were badly swollen, and it was constantly scratching patches of its hairless skin.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard yesterday that when animal welfare
welfare inspectors visited his home at the town’s West Campbell Street, the animal had to be taken away and put down by vets, such was the state of its pain and suffering.
Fiscal depute Margaret McCallum said: “An SSPCA inspector attended the house after an anonymous complaint about a neglected dog not receiving veterinary attention in respect of its ailments.
“When admitted to the property, the inspector went into the living room where there was a golden retriever dog, normally called Prince, and he could clearly see it had a severe skin condition.
“His entire body was inflamed and red in colour. He was sparsely covered in hair. He had small spots and sores over his body.”
The court was told the room smelt “musky” and the animal could “barely stand” on swollen paws. It limped slowly along and struggled to move its hind legs and fore legs. Prince also scratched incessantly at its skin.
A veterinary examination showed the dog weighed around 29 kilos and had body condition scale of 1.5/5, where a scale of one is emaciated and five is obese.
The fiscal added: “The inspector asked the accused when was the last time the dog had attended the vet and whether it had received any treatment.
“He said he hadn’t been to the vets for two-and-a-half years and the dog did not have any medication.”
The inspector summoned another SSPCA officer to help him deal with the rescue of the dog last January, which had to be taken away for immediate examination.
The court was told Prince was “humanely destroyed” because he was “clearly suffering” from ailments including osteoarthritis and dysplasia.
He was around seven and half years old.
McLaughlin pleaded guilty to charges of causing the animal unnecessary suffering by omitting to take Prince to the vet between October 2016 and January this year for treatment, even though he was responsible for the family pet.
Defence agent Charlie McCusker said McLaughlin was “deeply ashamed” by events and “very much regretted” what happened to the dog.
He said: “Clearly he should have gone to a vet. He should have done something about it. He recognises this and is deeply ashamed by events.
“His friend had a similar type of dog and he asked his pal, when his dog developed a skin condition, for advice.
“His friend said his anima l ’ s condition went away. The accused recognises he should have taken the animal to the vet”
Sheriff James Spy told the accused he had caused “considerable distress” to the animal requiring the dog to be put down.
He banned McLaughlin from keeping dogs for 10 years and fined him £1,000.