CONVICTED (2017) | Alastair Christian Watt, born August 1971, of Sherwood Road, Worksop S80 1QN – starved and neglected a dalmatian puppy
Company director Alastair Watt’s dalmatian puppy, Penny, was described as being “desperate for food” after being neglected to the extent that her hip bones, spine and ribs were clearly visible through her fur.
The eight-month-old pup was found suffering in a crate with no food and water by builders who were doing work at a Bassetlaw house.
The builders were so shocked by the puppy’s emaciated appearance that they contacted the RSPCA.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Penny’s health by the animal charity led to the prosecution of the dog’s owner, Watt.
Aviation engineer Watt, whose active companies are ACW Aviation Ltd and ACW Engineering Ltd, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to the puppy.
RSPCA inspector Becky Harper said: “As soon as I saw Penny I knew that something wasn’t right. She was so thin and you could see her hip bones, spine and ribs. She was also very nervous but clearly desperate for food.
“She weighed 9kg, which is far from what she should have weighed, and vets gave her an extremely low body score of one out of nine. As soon as we gave her some food she wolfed it down – she was so hungry.
“It was clearly obvious that she was in a state of neglect. It was very quickly proven that there were no underlying health issues and her poor condition was simply due to not being provided with a suitable diet.
“It is not acceptable to leave an animal to suffer in the state that she was in.”
“In court, the magistrates clearly stated that they could not understand how any person could look at this dog and fail to recognise that there was a serious issue with her weight or health,” said inspector Harper.
“I believe that the severity of this offence has now been taken on board by Mr Watt, with the sentencing reflecting the gravity of the situation, and it is hoped that lessons have been learned to prevent any similar situation reoccurring in the future.”
Penny went on to make a full recovery and was made available for rehoming.
Sentencing: Fined £1,400 and ordered to pay £650 costs. Banned from keeping pets for ten years (expires September 2027).