A woman from Kent who left a bulldog to suffer with a severe skin infection has been banned from keeping dogs for life.
Tanya Abalaf of High Street, Wouldham, Rochester, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a bulldog called Caesar by failing to provide him with adequate nutrition and failing to get veterinary treatment for his severe skin condition.
The defendant appeared at Medway Magistrates’ Court on January 2 where as well as the ban, she was placed under a 12-month community order which requires her to undertake 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Caesar’s poor state of health was discovered by police who visited Abalaf’s property on another matter on May 23 last year. They seized the dog and RSPCA Inspector Ormerod picked the dog up from a vets in Maidstone and took him to be cared for at an RSPCA animal centre.
The inspector said Caesar was underweight, suffering from fur loss and his skin was reddened by sores and scabs, with tests later confirming the canine was suffering with a severe case of mange.
“Although he was standing, he appeared extremely subdued and lethargic and smelt strongly of yeast and infection,” the inspector said in a statement.
An expert vet’s report scored the dog only one out of nine on a body condition rating (when five is the ideal), which is classed as being in an emaciated state.
On Caesar’s skin condition, the vet said: “I would expect any reasonable owner to see skin changes that cause reddening and itchiness as these are one of the most common complaints which bring owners in for consultations.
“Mites cause bites, burrowing into the skin layers, disrupting skin growth and renewal, leading to secondary infections if not treated. This dog would have been suffering for at least three months to have changes to this severity, and I suspect he suffered for longer than this.”
Caesar, who was aged six, was treated for the mange infestation and secondary infections and the condition of his skin improved significantly. He put on nearly 4kg in weight during the first month of his stay at the RSPCA animal centre and his recovery appeared to be going well.
But sadly, in October last year he suffered a series of seizures and his health deteriorated swiftly when a vet decided the best course of action was to put him to sleep to end his suffering.
The court was told that Abalaf accepted she had “failed the dog”. It was said she suffered from mental health issues after being the victim of a stabbing incident, after which she moved from London to Kent.
Magistrates ordered her to pay £400 court costs and a victim surcharge of £114. A co-defendant in the prosecution is to be dealt with on the same matter by crown court trial.
Speaking after the hearing, Inspector Ormerod said: “When I first saw Caesar he was in a shocking condition. It was clear his owner had failed to seek veterinary treatment for a debilitating skin infection and he was significantly underweight. His condition deteriorated over several months but the defendant failed to act and take him to the vets.”
