Caernarfon man causes Unnecessary Suffering to seven Dogs

A Caernarfon man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after he caused unnecessary suffering to seven dogs.

Declan Roberts of Glyn Afon, Carmel, Caernarfon, appeared at Caernarfon Magistrates Court on Tuesday 22 November for
sentencing. Roberts pleaded guilty to four offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

Three offences related to causing the unnecessary suffering to seven dogs by failing to provide professional veterinary treatment for severe degloving injuries.

A fourth offence was that he caused unnecessary suffering to seven dogs by engaging the dogs with other animals (most likely badgers) leading to injury to the dogs.

He was sentenced to 18 weeks imprisonment on each charge concurrently which would be suspended for 12 months and he was disqualified from keeping dogs for five years. Roberts was also ordered to pay £600 costs and a victim surcharge of £128.

It was on 9 March of this year when 11 dogs were removed after warrants were executed by North Wales Police at Glyn Afon, Carmel Caernarfon and at Braich Tri Gwr Mawr, Carmel.

Six dogs were removed from Glyn Afon. One of these dogs – named Cathy – was a tan and brown female terrier.
In a written witness statement provided to court, by one of the RSPCA’s special operations unit inspectors, they said:

“This dog had extensive facial and jaw injuries. Her breathing was very audible and she appeared to have no skin at all on her lower jaw. Her nose appeared to be injured and her teeth crooked, broken and very visible. The degloving injury to her lower jaw was extensive.”

RSPCA inspectors also found an older looking male black patterdale terrier known as Winston who had injuries to his jaw and scarring to his face, nose and jaw area and a black patterdale terrier, named Tara. This dog again had extensive scarring to the jaw and face, and also had a severe degloving injury on the lower jaw. Another brown patterdale terrier was found with scarring around his jaw and face.

At the other location five dogs were found. One of them was Vicky, a short haired tan and black female terrier. She had extreme scarring to lower jaw, had exposed tooth roots, was wheezing and struggling to breathe and had a discharge from her nose.

A black male terrier who had a small white chest mark – known as Tank – was found with extensive scarring to lower jaw and had wounds that were still healing.

A short haired black terrier was found with facial scarring and had a degloving injury to lower jaw.
In a statement provided by a veterinary surgeon they said:

“A number of dogs were found to have a relative large number of skin scars and/or severe tissue damage around the facial tissues but did not have any incisor tooth damage. It is highly likely that these dogs had sustained those injuries by fighting with another animal.

“The remaining dogs had very severe facial injuries, some with nose tissues missing and in particular skin avulsion injuries. These dogs also had a multiple number of incisor teeth either missing or fractured. It is highly likely that these dogs had sustained those injuries by fighting with another animal.”

The 11 dogs in RSPCA care will now be made available for rehoming in the near future.