Man admits letting pet dog suffer (From Thisisdorset)

Man admits letting pet dog suffer

1:00pm Thursday 4th October 2012 in Latest

A MAN prosecuted for keeping a seriously underweight dog in dirty conditions asked if he could work with animals.

James Davis was sentenced at Bournemouth Magistrates Court yesterday.

The 34-year-old from Highland Crescent in East Howe kept seven-year-old Bull Mastiff cross Hooch in a shed.

The court heard it lived amidst faeces, mould and broken glass.

After he was sentenced to 150 hours community work Davis said: “I would like to do something with animals, so I could pay it back.”

District Judge House said community work usually involved cleaning.

The RSCPA seized Hooch in June and with a “reasonable” diet his weight increased from 26 kilos to 36 kilos. An equally underweight man of 5ft 11ins tall would have weighed less than eight stone when found, the Daily Echo calculated.

Hooch also needed ear treatment and is waiting to be re-homed. Davis was ordered to pay £280 costs and disqualified from keeping a dog for five years. RSPCA Inspector Graham Hammond said: “It’s a severe case in the fact the dog was kept in these conditions from October until June.”

Davis admitted failing to provide a suitable environment, causing unnecessary suffering, and failing to protect from suffering.