A pet owner has admitted multiple charges of neglecting his dog and cats.
Paul Kyle, 25, pled guilty at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to contraventions of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 on various occasions at his home in Martin Crescent, Ballingry, this year.
Kyle admitted causing unnecessary suffering to his dog Mercury between March 1 and May 2 by failing to provide adequate care and treatment and failing to obtain advice or treatment from a vet over the dog’s poor health and condition, including injuries to the dog’s face and neck, weight loss and malnutrition.
Between April 23 and May 2, he abandoned Mercury in such circumstances as were likely to cause the dog unnecessary suffering, failing to obtain vet advice or treatment for its face and neck injury and failing to provide adequate nutrition and hydration.
Between the same dates, he admitted failing to take steps to ensure the dog’s needs were met, failing to provide adequate ventilation, lighting, comfortable and clean resting areas, adequate nutrition and hydration.
He did not allow Mercury to exhibit normal behaviour, confining him within the house, failing to provide adequate exercise and failing to provide hygienic living conditions.
Kyle further admitted abandoning without reasonable excuse two cats named Mars and Jupiter in circumstances likely to expose them to faeces and failed to provide ventilation, nutrition and hydration between April 28 and May 2.
The final charge, which was also admitted, stated Kyle failed to take steps to ensure the needs of two cats named Ginger and Jupiter were met.
He failed to provide ventilation, lighting, comfortable and clean resting areas, nutrition and hydration and appropriate facilities for the cats to urinate and defecate, between April 23 and May 2.
Defence solicitor Martin McGuire confirmed the cats had all been in his client’s care at the time of the offences, but did not go further into the background of the case at this stage of proceedings.
Mr McGuire also said he anticipated the sheriff would need to call for reports, the contents of which would be of “some significance” when it comes to disposing of the case.
Depute fiscal Ronnie Hay called for Kyle to be made subject to a disqualification order under section 40 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act, which could prohibit Kyle from owning or keeping animals, dealing, transporting, working with or using animals for any purpose, or taking possession of animals.
Sheriff Robert Vaughan noted that the disqualification application had been made but continued the case until October 30, when a decision on that and sentencing is expected to be made.
