Dad guilty of neglecting pet
Pooch was so distressed she had to be put down
A dad- of- five has been found guilty of causing his family pet “unnecessary suffering” by neglecting to take her to the vet.
Shopworker Scott Summers, 36, allowed west Highland terrier Kizzie, then 15, to struggle on even after her fur fell out, pus ran from her ears, she developed a head tilt – which affected her balance – and her skin became discoloured and inflamed.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard when the distressed animal was rescued by inspectors from the Scottish SPCA, she could not be saved and had to be put to sleep.
Summers, of Bargarron Drive in Gallowhill, Paisley, was convicted after trial of allowing the family pet to suffer from a string of health conditions by her ignoring symptoms, which should have been treated by a vet.
The trial heard Summers claim that although Kizzie was the family dog, he was not the owner, and the dog belonged to his partner Lisa Marshall, 30.
He said his responsibilities were only to look after the dog, feed her, give her medication and take her for walks.
However, as he was the one who answered the door when the SSCPA inspectors showed up, he ended up in the dock charged with the offences.
Fiscal depute Claire Nicholls told the court how Kizzie’s claws were overgrown. She had shed her coat and her skin was inflamed, she had difficulty maintaining her balance, was falling over regularly and she had “smelly” pus running from her ears.
Ms Nicholls said: “It is the Crown’s view that the accused was responsible for the pet and that he failed in his responsibilities of providing a duty of care for the animal.
“It is true that the owner is responsible, but so is the person in charge.
“He walked the dog, fed the dog and gave her medication. So that responsibility exists separately from the owner of the animal.
“And the Crown has his own admission that he was responsible for the animal on a day-to-day basis.”
The court heard the pooch had been prescribed steroids and antihistamines by Vets4Pets, Linwood.
Her owners stopped giving her the first pills and bought over-thecounter remedies.
Kizzie’s condition worsened and she was left to suffer for at least 15 months.
The Matalan worker sat in the dock with his head bowed as he was convicted of charges of causing Kizzie unnecessary suffering by omitting to take her to a vet, and seeking adequate care and treatment, despite ear and skin conditions, between January 1, 2015 and the following March.
Defence agent Peter Galletly said: “He ought to have done something rather than leave it to someone else. But he is a first offender and has reached the age of 36 without ever being in trouble before.
“In fact, he wouldn’t even be in court if it weren’t for this case.
“He has been held accountable for not doing something when he should have.
“This will not sit well with him as family man, a father of five, who until recently, loved the dog.”
Sheriff Susan Sinclair told the accused: “The proceedings have led to a conviction and, in the circumstances, the offences were serious enough to warrant that.
“However, an admonition of your guilt would be a significant penalty.”
She admonished him for the offence but banned him from owning or looking after dogs and cats for one year.