An Aberdare man has been handed a suspended prison sentence at Merthyr Crown Court after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering after failing to treat his dog’s “extensive and severe” injuries.
Ryan Chad Warner of Cwmaman, Aberdare, pleaded guilty to one offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a black and white male Patterdale type terrier called Grafter. Warner failed to provide proper and necessary veterinary care and attention for Grafter’s serious injuries.
The case was heard at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court on 31 August and then referred to Merthyr Crown Court on Friday 7 October where Warner was sentenced to 12 months of custody suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay costs of £2,065 and was banned from keeping dogs for five years.
In a written statement provided to the court, RSPCA inspector Gemma Cooper said she attended Warner’s address on 7 March of this year.
She met Grafter in the back garden and found him to have scars all over his head, muzzle, neck and ears.
Inspector Cooper said: “His right ear had a large, healed tear and his left ear had a large, recent tear as there was dried blood on the inside. The bite type wounds all over his head and muzzle, some appeared to be older and healed and others seemed to be newer and scabbed over.
“A large proportion of the skin from the lower jaw was hanging away from the bone, revealing the flesh part of the jaw. The flesh looked red and sore and it smelt really bad, like infection.
“There were bits of dirt and grass sticking to this bit of open flesh and Grafter appeared really uncomfortable when I touched around the area in order to get a better look. He appeared uncomfortable by repetitively moving his head away from me when I tried to look at the injury. I asked Ryan Warner if the dog had seen a vet and he said that he hadn’t.”
Warner then told inspector Cooper that he had only just bought Grafter the previous evening from an advert and that he had the injuries when he bought him. But Warner was unable to provide her with the seller’s details. A transfer of ownership form was then signed for Grafter by Warner.
A written witness statement from a vet – who examined Grafter on 7 March – was also provided to the court.
The vet said that there were “extensive and severe injuries” on Grafter’s head and neck, the most severe of the injuries being an “extensive degloving injury” of the flesh of the lower jaw.
She said: “A degloving is a type of traumatic injury where a large portion of skin and tissue is detached from the underlying muscle or bone and is extremely painful.”
The vet added that in her opinion Grafer “had suffered enormously and unnecessarily as a result of his extensive and severe wounds.”
She added: “This unnecessary suffering would have been alleviated by seeking and following appropriate veterinary treatment.”
At the vets, Grafter was hospitalised and given painkillers and antibiotics and later given surgery to try and salvage the wounds on his face. Sadly he will carry a permanent disfigurement.
However, Grafter has recovered from his injuries and has since been successfully rehomed.
