A Carmarthen man has been handed a suspended sentence and has been disqualified from keeping animals for 10 years after his dog suffered unnecessarily with skin disease.
David Allen Murphy of Quay Street, Carmarthen, attended Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Friday 24 July for sentencing.
He had pleaded guilty to one offence* under the Animal Welfare Act in that he caused unnecessary suffering to a Collie-cross German Shepherd dog called Cora by failing to adequately investigate and address her skin disease.
He was sentenced to 18 weeks custody which was suspended for 18 months and was ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.
As well as the ban on keeping animals for 10 years he was ordered to pay £600 costs and a £150 victim surcharge.
In a written statement provided to the court from RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben he said that Cora was taken to a vets by the police after being found tied to a tree/bush on 27 December last year.
He said the dog had an obvious skin condition and had been seen with a man known as David Murphy shortly before he was found.
Inspector Hogben said police contacted him on 29 December about the dog and when he saw Cora she had “an obvious skin condition with hair loss on its neck and lower back”.
He added that she had been clipped/shaved at the vets and was on medication, and was shown photos of her when she was taken in by the police and they showed the “bald patches” on her before she was clipped/shaved at the vets.
Cora was taken into possession by police and handed into the care of the RSPCA.
A written statement from a vet, who analysed the pictures and case, said that Cora’s veterinary history states that the “elderly dog was very itchy with severe skin disease with moist dermatitis scabbed over on both flanks, chronic skin changes around her ears and on the top of the body was a very itchy area with fur loss and very thickened skin indicating a long standing issue”.
He added: “She also was found to have multiple masses over her body mostly in the mammary area. The vets clipped and cleaned the affected areas using an anti bacterial and anti fungal shampoo, gave her a treatment in case there were any parasites (fleas/mites) involved, applied a soothing cream to the worst areas and started her onto steroid medication to reduce the itchiness and give her relief from that. The shampoo, cream and steroids were continued as needed.”
The vet said it would have taken Cora a “number of weeks to months to reach the condition that she was found in with the chronic changes found over her body and will have suffered unnecessarily for that entire time, not only physically with the irritation and the scabbing changes within the skin but also mental due to the inability to resolve that constant irritation over a prolonged period”.
He added that failing to seek veterinary attention for an obvious health issue the owner has failed in their duty of care leaving the dog suffering unnecessarily.
In mitigation it was heard that he loved the dog and had drug issues.
Following sentencing Inspector Hogben said: “Every animal deserves to be treated with kindness and respect and if you have a pet you are responsible for making sure they are happy and healthy. We would urge anyone struggling to seek help.”
Cora’s skin has recovered well, and she is currently receiving ongoing care with Hope Rescue in Llanharan.
