Dog abusers get five-year ban
A couple who starved their flea-infested dogs and puppies to the point where their bones were protruding have been banned from keeping animals for five years.
Sean Feeney and Debbie Davis' pets were so hungry, they ate their own droppings, Wolverhampton Magistrates Court heard.
The couple, who are both jobless and live with three children in Olinthus Avenue, Wednesfield, owned a four-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier called Cleo, a two-year-old boxer called Trigger and two puppies aged 14 months.
All four animals were rescued from the home shared by Davis, 25, and Feeney, 21, by the RSPCA on October 12.
Cleo and Trigger were emaciated with protruding bones and wasting muscles, the court heard.
Both were given a vet's score of one out of five – zero being at the point of death and five being obese.
Cleo weighed two stones instead of the ideal two-and-a-half and Trigger weighed just 2.6 stones instead of 10.
The puppies were also emaciated and had fleas and mites.
The RSPCA put all of the pets into kennels, where they responded well to treatment and gained considerable amounts of weight in just 17 days, the court heard.
The vet's report read: "All four dogs were extremely underweight and this was caused by a chronic lack of food."
Mr Roger Price, prosecuting, told how they were deprived of food for a substantial period of time and Feeney and Davis were aware they could have had them treated for free at the local PDSA.
Feeney and Davis each admitted four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal on June 6.
Deputy district Judge Sandeep Kainth sentenced the couple to a one-year community order, 120 hours unpaid work, £125 costs and a five-year ban.
Mr Martin McNamara, defending, said: "They were not in the best position to look after the dogs and they accept that. They acted inappropriately, rather than deliberately.
"There are three young children in the family and they like having dogs at home."
