CONVICTED (2017) | Peter Neville Tellett, born 22/11/1959, of 8 East Green, Sealand Deeside CH5 2SG – failed to take his dog to the vet even when he chewed off his own back foot and lower leg
Tellett admitted a cruelty charge between July 4 and July 18, 2017.
Solicitor Glen Murphy, prosecuting for the RSPCA, told Flintshire Magistrates Court that RSPCA Inspector Fred Armstrong called at the Tellett’s home and spoke to his partner, Angela Maguire.
Inspector Armstrong was shown a male Jack Russell dog and part of his rear right leg was missing.
The injury appeared to be fairly recent but Maguire said she did not know how it happened.
It had been noticed some two weeks earlier but she said they did not have the money to take him to the vet.
She agreed to sign over the dog, together with two others, to the RSPCA.
At the time there were three adult dogs and five puppies in the property.
Tellett was interviewed and said he had SpongeBob for nine years and became aware of the injury some two weeks before. It was not bleeding and he assumed it was alright.
Tellett said he believed the dog had done it himself, did not howl or cry, and he did not consider it to be in pain.
He agreed it was his fault that nothing had been done about it. “I should have done more,” he said.
Vet David Harlow found the dog to be “quiet and miserable” and was missing his rear, right lower leg below the hock.
The wound was swollen and painful, the vet suspected it was infected, and the degree of healing was consistent with “traumatic amputation” some two weeks before.
It was also consistent with the claim that the dog might have chewed off his own foot.
SpongeBob was given pain relief and antibiotics.
He also had teeth missing and may have had teeth knocked out, said the vet.
His nails on the remaining three feet were long, suggesting a lack of reasonable exercise.
The leg injury would have extremely painful and the vet said that the dog would have been in chronic and acute pain since it happened.
He had undergone unnecessary suffering by failure to seek veterinary attention.
Mr Murphy said a lack of money was no reason not to seek veterinary attention for an animal.
All vets were under a duty to provide pain relief to prevent suffering, whether payment was made or not. The RSPCA was always available to give advice.
District judge Gwyn Jones told Tellett he would have to make urgent arrangements to have any remaining dogs rehoused.
Earlier the judge questioned why, if there was no money available, there were five dogs in the house in the first place.
The court was told Tellett, who had no previous convictions, could not do unpaid work because of a heart condition.
Sentence: 12-week tagged curfew; £300 costs and £85 surcharge; 10-year ban on keeping dogs (expires November 2027).