Pollok dog owner caged for neglecting Labrador

A dog owner who allowed his Labrador to suffer with a tumour for at least six months before she had to be put down has been caged for 60 days.

James Brown, 29, failed to get help for Tara even when she had a 'painful tumour' the size of a child’s small football and a growth caused by rotting flesh.

After a complaint was made, animal charity SPCA visited Brown’s Pollok flat in March on two occasions and on the second rescued Tara.

He claimed he had no money to take her to the vet.

But, when she was taken for medical treatment she had to be down 'due to the severity of her condition'.

It was noted that 'earlier attendance could have prevented the extent of her suffering'.

Brown pled guilty to an offence under the Animal Health and Welfare Act between October 2016 and March 2017, to failing to get adequate care and treatment and that she had to be put down.

Sheriff Richard McFarlane said: 'I’m going to impose a prison sentence of 60 days.

'I also keep in mind you related the dog to your late mother, you were reluctant to have the dog put down for many reasons.

'I don’t think - for that reason - you are a great threat to other dogs that might be in your care.'

Brown was also banned from owning a dog for seven years.

On an earlier occasion the court heard SPSA officers went to Brown’s flat after receiving a complaint about a neglected dog.

Fiscal depute Lynne Reilly said only Brown’s brother was in and claimed there was a vet appointment the following day.

Miss Reilly said: 'At that time the dog was in poor condition and had a growth the size of a tennis ball on its neck and a growth under the right leg which looked like mammary tumour.'

The officers returned two days later when Brown was in and noted the dog had deteriorated and there was large open weeping wound.

Miss Reilly added: 'He hadn’t gone to the vet, his reason was he had no money to transport the dog.

'It was clear that the ailment to the dog was clearly causing it suffering.'

The officers took the dog to a vet surgery. She was thin and had a large hairless open painful tumour the size of a child’s football on the groin and pungent smell coming from a growth caused by sottish flesh.

Miss Reilly said: 'She had extreme muscle wastage and her right leg was filled with fluid and turned out due to the tumour.

'The tumour would have caused the dog discomfort for at least six months time.'

Tara was in the family since she was a puppy and Brown took over her care when his mother died.

Defence lawyer Garvey McArdle said the dog wasn’t showing signs of being in pain and was adequately fed.

He added that it is 'incompetence rather than intention'.