CONVICTED (2022) | David Pickles, born 25 February 1959, of 272 St Stephens Road, West Bowling, Bradford BD5 7HJ – allowed his flea-infested dog to become emaciated.
The RSPCA prosecuted David Pickles for causing unnecessary suffering to his pet dog called Tiny.
The charity visited Pickles’ home in February 2022 and found the dog collapsed and lying on a sofa. She was severely underweight with every bone visible.
Pickles told RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Ollie Wilkes that Tiny had been losing weight since the New Year and had recently started going to the toilet on the sofa which prompted him to seek help. He admitted that Tiny had never been examined by a vet.
The dog was rushed to a vets for treatment but sadly it was decided to put her to sleep on welfare grounds.
Vets said they had never seen a dog so underweight. She weighed just 11.35kg against an ideal weight for a dog of her size of 20kg.
The vet found she was extremely weak, dehydrated, had a severe flea infestation, overgrown nails, dental disease and pressure sores on the bony prominences of her hips and down the right side of her rib cage.
She had a body condition score of one out of nine – with one being the lowest-. Radiographs were taken which showed she also had two aggressive tumours on her legs which would have been very painful.
Mitigation was heard in court that Pickles wanted Tiny to die in his arms at home. The court was told he couldn’t afford a taxi to the vet’s and even if he could he would have worried about her defecating in the taxi. He accepted that he had been very selfish.
The magistrates declined to see the photographs stating that they felt traumatised by the description of the dog’s condition alone.
After the hearing, Inspector Adam Dickinson said; “This was prolonged neglect that caused a high level of suffering. Tiny didn’t get in the state she was in overnight. Our plea to all animal owners is to make sure they always receive care and treatment from veterinary experts when they need it.
“If people are struggling to cover the costs, there are a number of charities which provide help for veterinary care for pet owners in genuine financial difficulties. People can also work with their vet to spread the cost of treatment.
“Pets are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy. Owning an animal is a privilege – and ensuring appropriate veterinary care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards our pets. It’s so sad that, in this instance, that responsibility was not met.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with a requirement to undertake 20 rehabilitation activity days; £95 victim surcharge. Indefinite ban on keeping animals, which can be appealed after five years.