Chesterfield man banned keeping animals for 15 years after pet found by police in ‘worst condition they had ever seen a dog in’

Joseph Heald, 29, of Clarendon Road, Chesterfield, pleaded guilty to being jointly concerned with another and causing unnecessary suffering to an Old English bulldog called AJ by failing to investigate and address the dog’s poor body condition and weight loss.

Nottingham Croen Court court heard the RSPCA attended the address after a member of the public reported concerns for AJ who they said was kept outside all the time and was getting thinner and thinner and struggling to stand - the concerned member of the public would feed the dog themselves when they could and they offered to take him to the vet but the defendant refused.

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Sophie Taylor attended the address with the police in March last year. They went inside the property and found AJ inside a small bathroom surrounded by his own urine and faeces. AJ’s spine, ribs and skull were very pronounced.

He looked miserable and in pain, had no muscles on his back legs and was struggling with any movement. The police officer who attended stated it was the worst condition they had ever seen a dog in and it brought tears to their eyes.

AJ was removed from the property and taken to a vet for examination and the clinical examination found that the dog was emaciated with very little muscle mass, and had a body condition score of 1 out of 9. He could walk but appeared to be very weak on his legs, his temperature was 33.7 degrees which indicated hypothermia. He had sores present on his hocks and metacarpals.

An expert vet who examined the case said that AJ was caused to suffer unnecessarily physically and mentally for a minimum period of one month, but it would more likely to have been up to six months.

In their report they said it would have been obvious to any reasonable person that AJ was suffering from malnutrition, hypothermia and joint pain.

Speaking after the case ARO Sophie Taylor said: “It was heartbreaking to find AJ in such a terrible condition and I wasn’t sure if he would be strong enough to make it - which was devastating given that he was still so young.

“I am delighted that after everything he has been through he has now made a good recovery and has been rehomed to a wonderful family who just adore him.”

In mitigation the court heard the defendant was remorseful and at the time had been under significant strain but his personal circumstances have now improved.

Heald was disqualified from keeping all animals for 15 years and sentenced to 136 days prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work including 10 RAR (Rehabilitation Activity Requirement) days. He was also ordered to pay £600 costs and £154 victim surcharge.

A second defendant, who had pleaded guilty to two offences at an earlier hearing and was sentenced in February, was disqualified from keeping all animals for 15 years, given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £400 costs and £154 victim surcharge.

In mitigation the court heard at the time that the defendant had suffered a period of trauma and had been overwhelmed by their personal circumstances and did not have the financial means to pay for veterinary treatment but had shown genuine remorse.