Monthly Archives: August 2023

Dogs

Wishaw, North Lanarkshire: Allan Graham

Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2023) | Allan Graham, born February 1992, of Muirhouse Avenue, Newmains, Wishaw ML2 9NF – left his elderly dog starving and drinking out of a green algae-covered water bowl.

Animal abuser Allan Graham from Newmains, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Image: Facebook
Cruel Allan Graham received a two-year ban after his dog was found underweight with a foul-smelling coat covered in dandruff.

Graham pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges at Hamilton Sheriff Court on 2 August 2023. The charges were in relation to a Staffy/English bull terrier crossbreed named Bruiser.

Bruiser was starved and neglected by Allan Graham from Newmains, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Image: Scottish SPCA
Bruiser weighed significantly less than the normal for a dog of his breed with all of his bones prominent through his fur

Scottish SPCA chief inspector Heather Lawson said “We attended a property on Muirhouse Avenue, Newmains, Wishaw on 14 August 2020 following a complaint to our animal helpline.

“The caller reported that there was a dog within the property who was in extremely poor body condition.

“Inside the premises we found a male, Staffordshire bull terrier cross English bull terrier type dog, known as Bruiser, in extremely poor condition. All his ribs, spine and hip bones were prominent. He had a hunched posture and a very quiet demeanour.

Animal abuser Allan Graham from Newmains, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Image: Facebook

“There was a large bowl of water on the floor which was coloured green with algae. Allan Graham stated that the dog drank an excessive amount of water and to save him having to refill it he provided a larger bowl.

“He admitted that Bruiser was underweight and claimed he had been trying to feed him up by giving him pasta in addition to his normal dog food.

“Due to concerns for Bruiser’s welfare we removed him from the property and took him to a veterinary surgeon for examination.

“Bruiser was found to weigh 13.8kg with loss of muscle mass, especially over his hindquarters. The harness he was wearing was too big, suggesting he had lost a significant amount of weight since it was fitted. The normal weight for a dog of his breed would be between 18kg and 20kg.

“Bruiser’s coat was also in poor condition with a foul smell and quantity of dandruff.

“No clinical reason could be found for his weight loss and it was determined it was most likely due to a poor diet rather than an underlying medical condition.

Bruiser was starved and neglected by Allan Graham from Newmains, Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Image: Scottish SPCA
Bruiser following his recovery in the SSPCA’s care

“Bruiser soon regained weight in the care of one of our animal rescue and rehoming centres on a normal diet of commercially available dog food.

“We’re pleased Graham received a ban as, although he seemed to be aware that Bruiser was clearly in poor condition, he did nothing to resolve the situation.

“Bruiser’s suffering could easily have been alleviated through providing him with the correct nutrition.”

Sentencing | £450 fine. A two-year ban on owning dogs (expires August 2025)..

Daily Record
Scottish SPCA
Glasgow Live

Dogs, ear cropping and tail docking

Blantyre, South Lanarkshire: Lisa Barrett

1 Comment

CONVICTED (2023) | Lisa Barrett, born 15 October 1983, from Blantyre – failed to seek veterinary treatment for her American XL bully puppy after the dog’s ears were illegally cropped.

Blantyre woman Lisa Barrett had her puppy's ears illegally cropped

Barrett was fined £300 after the puppy, Karma, was found to have undergone the brutal procedure.

She pleaded guilty at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday 31 July 2023.

Blantyre woman Lisa Barrett had her puppy's ears illegally cropped. Pictured is the puppy Karma

An investigation by the Scottish SPCA found Karma’s ears had been mutilated two or three weeks before she was found and her stitches had recently been removed by someone who was not a vet.

Blantyre woman Lisa Barrett had her puppy's ears illegally cropped. Pictured is the puppy Karma

A Scottish SPCA investigator said: “We attended a premises in Blantyre on 16 August 2022 and found Karma, an American XL bully puppy, at the property with cropped ears.

“We immediately removed the dog due to concerns for her welfare. It was determined by a vet that the ear cropping would have taken place around two to three weeks prior.

“This illegal procedure would have caused Karma considerable pain and discomfort for purely cosmetic reasons. In the UK, as ear cropping is a prohibited procedure, any operation is also unlikely to be carried out with appropriate anaesthetic or pain relief.

Blantyre woman Lisa Barrett had her puppy's ears illegally cropped.

“Barrett did not take Karma to see a veterinary surgeon after the illegal procedure had been carried out and, even then, she was taken to the veterinary clinic for her vaccinations and not for her ears.

“While we’re pleased Barrett was fined we’re extremely disappointed that she was not given a ban on keeping animals. The cruelty involved in ear cropping is horrific and we feel the sentence should reflect that.”

Sentencing | £300 fine and no ban.

Daily Record

Animal Abandonment, Dogs

Bromley, Greater London: Nicholas Kengere

2 Comments

CONVICTED (2023) | Nicholas Kengere, born c. 2004, of Capstone Road, Bromley – left his dog tied up without food for over a week.

Animal abuser Nicholas Kengere from Bromley, Greater London

Kengere left his black Labrador crossbreed named Blade tethered to a coat hook in his hallway while he was in hospital.

Neighbours on Capstone Road reported that the dog had been abandoned prompting RSPCA officers to attend the property on January 24, 2023.

Blade was abandoned by Nicholas Kengere from Bromley, Greater London

One of Kengere’s friends let the officers inside where they found a dog that was very thin, with bones visible, standing in his own faeces.

“The dog had been kept tethered in the stairwell with no bedding, no clean resting area and no access to toileting facilities,” prosecutor Andrew Wiles said.

A vet who assessed Blade rated his body condition as two on a scale of one to nine. They said the dog was 50 per cent underweight and had no palpable body fat.

The vet’s opinion was that Blade had likely been undernourished for two to three weeks or longer, Mr Wiles said.

Blade also had red lumps in his eyes, known as cherry eye, which required surgical intervention.

Blade was abandoned by Nicholas Kengere from Bromley, Greater London

RSPCA officers placed seals on Kengere’s door to see when he returned home but these were unbroke on January 26.

Officers made contact with Kengere on February 8 and he was interviewed.

“He said he had been in hospital for a week before the RSPCA attended and that he tethered the dog to stop it from going into the bins in the kitchen. He admitted the dog was probably suffering and that it was his fault,” Mr Wiles said.

Kengere had been an unplanned stay in hospital as he was suffering with a chronic B12 deficiency but acknowledged he should have done more for the dog.

Sentencing | 12-week prison sentence suspended for a year and a half. Banned from keeping pets for a decade but can appeal from 2030 (expires August 2033).

News Shopper

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, Multiple Species, rabbits, Small Furries

Wigan, Greater Manchester: Sarah Murgatroyd

1 Comment

CONVICTED (2023) | Sarah Murgatroyd, born 21 January 1978, of Broom Road, Worsley Hall, Wigan WN5 9QH – left a rabbit to suffer for weeks with a brain infection and neglected her dog.

Murgatroyd pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty in relation to a Netherland dwarf rabbit called Noah and and a shar pei cross dog known as Teddy.

The court was told that Murgatroyd had failed to realise how ill the rabbit was until a neighbour pointed it out to her.

By the time Murgatroyd handed Noah over to RSPCA inspector Deborah Beats on April 27, 2022, the pet had collapsed and was gravely ill with a brain infection.

Netherland dwarf rabbit Noah was euthanised for humane reasons after Sarah Murgatroyd left him to suffer for weeks
Netherland dwarf rabbit Noah was euthanised for humane reasons after Sarah Murgatroyd left him to suffer for weeks

A vet who examined Noah said he was underweight, with a body condition score of one out of five. He was so cold that his body temperature couldn’t be measured with a thermometer. He was so unwell that a vet decided the kindest thing to do was to put him to sleep.

A post-mortem showed evidence of encephalitozoon cuniculi infection, a common parasite affecting the kidneys and brains of rabbits.

The vet said: “Noah was suffering for a period of at least two weeks, but more likely longer. He had a significant amount of weight loss and was visibly underweight. He had a disease that is common in rabbits that was left untreated. A responsible owner would have sought veterinary care when first noticing the clinical signs.”

Wigan woman Sarah Murgatroyd's dog was infested with fleas and had alopecia
Teddy was infested with fleas and had alopecia

Murgatroyd also presented Teddy to the inspector and said she wasn’t able to look after him. He had a moderate flea infestation and alopecia, which he was treated for after he was signed over into the care of the RSPCA.

Sentencing | 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity days and 80 hours of unpaid work; £300 court costs and victim surcharge of £114. Five-year ban applicable to all animals (expires July 2028).

Manchester Evening News