Animal welfare charity reveals condition of dog being kept as pet was 'shocking and heart-breaking'
Last updated 24th Mar 2026
An animal welfare charity has revealed a dog's coat was so badly matted it had been unable to go to the toilet for a number of days.
A vet said Max the poodle-type pet was also visibly underweight - with his ribs, spine, and pelvic bones "easily visible" from a distance.
Stephen Gardiner, from Lauder, has been fined £800 at Selkirk Sheriff Court and ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge after he admitted a charge of neglect.
But, in a statement released this morning (Tuesday), the Scottish SPCA says it's "disappointed" a harsher punishment wasn’t imposed.
It adds, it believes the offences were serious enough for a ban on the 38-year-old owning animals.
An Inspector said: "Max was left in severe distress and pain for weeks, and the sentencing is not in line with the suffering inflicted on the poor animal.
“Stephen Gardiner showed complete disregard for the welfare of the animal in his care. The condition Max was found in was shocking and heart-breaking.
“This was a missed opportunity to show that animal neglect will not be tolerated in Scotland."
Selkirk Sheriff Court heard a vet raised concerns over the condition of the dog after being called to attend Gardiner's home in May 2022.
They found Max to be barely responsive, moaning, and unable to get up.
His coat was heavily soiled with urine and faeces, and he was severely matted.
According to the SSPCA, the amount of soiling in Max's coat meant he had likely been unable to move for several days.
There was a large mat surrounding his penis, that would have prevented him from urinating freely.
Due to the severity of Max’s body condition, he had to be carried out in a stretcher to be transported to the vet practice for treatment.
Unfortunately, on arrival at the practice, the dog’s breathing became significantly worse.
The vet made attempts to administer him with emergency treatment but, before this could be carried out, Max began to writhe in agony and his heart stopped.
The vet said: “Upon examination, we concluded Max had been either chronically underweight for a period of more than eight weeks or had lost a substantial amount of weight within a time frame of approximately six to eight weeks.
"He would have benefitted from veterinary attention in either scenario."
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The vet revealed Max's coat was so matted they struggled to use electric clippers on his leg.
"There was a strong potent odour from Max due to his coat being so heavily soiled," they added.
“In my opinion, it would have taken at least several weeks to result in the extent of coat matting that Max had. I believe that Max suffered unnecessarily for a substantial period of time - seven to ten days at a minimum.”
The Scottish SPCA attended Gardiner's home and removed the remaining dog - Memphis - from his care.
The Inspector added: “We respect the Sheriff’s decision but feel disappointed that a harsher punishment wasn’t imposed. We believe the offences were serious enough for a ban on owning animals to be imposed."
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