CONVICTED (2019) | Christopher Paul Adam, born 4 October 1992, of The Avenue, Coxhoe DH6 4AD – kept two dogs in horrific conditions and deprived them of food and water.
RSPCA inspectors turned up at father-of-two Chris Adam’s former home on Heathway, Seaham, in August 2018 where Lola was found in a dog crate in his backyard and Charlie was found in a brick outhouse.
The dogs were noticeably thirsty and starving and had nowhere comfortable to sleep.
RSPCA inspector, Rowena Proctor, said: “I was shocked to see how Lola and Charlie were living, particularly after being shown through what was an immaculately clean house.
“Lola was in a dog crate that was entirely empty aside from her, curled up in a ball. There was no bedding, food or water. Adam let her out then went to an outhouse from where he let out Charlie.
“It was immediately obvious that both dogs were very thirsty and that Lola in particular was hungry. They quickly started to drink dirty puddle water and what appeared to be rainwater that had filled a dirty kitchen bowl. Charlie toileted and Lola immediately ate it.
“Lola was obviously very, very thin and her white coat was dirty and smelly, her feet and legs were stained brown and yellow.
“Adam allowed me to look inside the outhouse which had very little natural light and was piled high with tools and other belongings leaving Charlie – who is a large dog – with very little space to move.
“There was no comfortable place for Charlie to rest. There was a piece of old carpet on the floor but, as she couldn’t escape from the tiny space she was in to toilet, it was heavily soiled with her own urine and faeces.
“The smell was overpowering. It must have been an absolutely awful place to be confined.
“There was a water bowl inside the outhouse but it was empty and dry.”
Both dogs were removed with the owner’s permission and taken to a vets for examination before being taken into possession by police on vet advice.
Lola weighed 6.4kg and was emaciated with her ribs, pelvis and spine all able to be seen through her coat and a vet said her size has been stunted and she will always be of small stature as a result of being starved at a young age.
Charlie weighed 25.2kg and was very underweight. The vet stated that a dog of Charlie’s size should weigh in excess of 30kg.
In mitigation, the court heard that construction worker Adam had been going through a difficult time and was of previous good character.
Sentencing | 18 weeks in jail – suspended for 12 months – and 15 rehabilitation activity days. Ordered to pay £300 costs and £115 victim surcharge. Banned for life from keeping animals.