A person has been banned from having a pet ever once more after his canine needed to be put down as a result of it had been ‘eaten alive by fleas’.
The poor Shih Tzu canine, known as Chewie, had been uncared for over a number of months after Darren Hughes deserted him in a flat.
When a member of the general public discovered Chewie he was collapsed on the ground, fully coated in fleas, and had no access to meals or water.
Vets realised Chewie had been struggling for ‘an extended length of time’ as a result of he was severely dehydrated, had misplaced loads of muscle mass, and had suffered extreme anaemia and blood loss because of the flea infestation.
Poor Chewie’s situation was so unhealthy that he couldn’t be saved, and he was put down to finish his struggling.
Hughes, 48, was arrested after the RSPCA was known as, and he’s now been convicted of neglect and inflicting pointless struggling to an animal.
He was sentenced at Highbury Corner magistrates court docket the place he was banned indefinitely from preserving all animals. He was additionally given an 18-week jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and fined £154.
The vet who handled Chewie informed the court docket: ‘Chewie was struggling for an prolonged size of time, because the preliminary imply corpuscular quantity (MCV) was very low.
‘With continual anaemia and ongoing blood loss, a number of months are required earlier than the MCV and MCHC lower beneath reference intervals.
‘This patient’s imply corpuscular haemoglobin focus (MCHC) wasn’t even registered by our laboratory, which is prone to imply purple blood cells do not need sufficient haemoglobin.
‘It additionally exhibits thrombocytosis (elevated platelets), which is commonly current in animals with iron deficiency anaemia.
‘The biochemistry blood test results show that he had low creatine, which was likely related to muscle loss, and increased urea, which is likely related to dehydration.
‘He was diagnosed with severe anaemia due to his infestation with fleas.’
Hughes, of Islington in north London, also had a cat at the same property, which will be rehomed.
In mitigation, Hughes’s barrister said an alcohol addiction meant he failed to provide Chewie with necessary vet treatment.
RSPCA Inspector Shahnaz Ahmad said: ‘This was a distressing case. Poor Chewie had been left on his own for large periods of time while he was riddled with fleas, they were literally eating him alive.
‘It’s thanks to a member of the public alerting us to the condition of this dog that Hughes was punished for his actions.
‘Sadly it was too late to save Chewie, but it does mean this individual will never be able to neglect pets in this way again.’
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