A neglectful dog owner whose Belgian Shepherd had to be put to sleep because of untreated injuries has been banned from keeping pets for two years.
Jason McAndrew’s nine-year-old dog Mac died after his wounds became infected.
McAndrew, 45, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted causing his dog unnecessary suffering and failing to provide appropriate care and treatment.
The court heard the dog had fractured teeth, an infected wound and dermatitis.
McAndrew, of Marketgait, Arbroath, pled guilty to a charge of causing suffering “by act or omission” between October 8 and 22, 2020.
As well as being banned from keeping animals, he was fined £150.
The sentence has been criticised by the Scottish SPCA, which had hoped for a longer ban.
Dog was in ‘extreme’ pain
A member of the public first reported concerns about McAndrew’s injured dog to the animal welfare charity on October 22, 2020.
Inspector Karen Cooper said: “The dog was taken to a nearby veterinary surgery.
“Mac was later transported to a Scottish SPCA animal rescue and rehoming centre for further care and attention.”
An initial assessment revealed wounds down the dog’s legs and around his scrotum, where the top layer of skin had disappeared.
Ms Cooper said: “The wound was clearly very tender as Mac was unwilling to let anyone near it.
“All of the wounds were infected and weeping discharge which had become matted in to the hair around them.
“There was an obvious pungent smell coming from Mac and he was extremely sore because of his wounds.”
Later test results showed Mac had an auto immune condition where his body was “attacking its own skin.”
“This was likely to have been a condition that built up over time and was present for months if not years,” said Ms Cooper.
“His condition was potentially treatable and leaving his condition untreated led to Mac being caused unnecessary suffering for a prolonged period of time.”
Difficult decision
Later that week, McAndrew agreed to sign Mac over into the care of the charity.
“Sadly, the difficult decision was made to put Mac to sleep on veterinary advice due to the extent of his injuries,” said Ms Cooper.
She added: “We would have hoped to have seen a lengthier ban as McAndrew was responsible for the welfare of Mac and sadly his needs were not met.
“We understand that veterinary treatment can be expensive, but ignoring Mac’s condition was not the way to handle the situation and caused him an unnecessary amount of suffering.”
She urged anyone with concerns about an animal to contact the Scottish SCPA hotline.
