Cruel owner left American Bulldog to suffer

A cruel dog owner left his American Bulldog to suffer for months before taking him to a vets where he was put down.

Kristopher Morgan, 36, failed to take his poor pooch Buddie to the vets after noticing a growth on his neck and a lack of appetite that left him extremely malnourished, with every bone of his body on show.

Morgan said Buddie went missing seven weeks before being handed into vets and so could not take him in, but experts said it was 'very unlikely' that a dog 'of that stature' would have disappeared for so long without being found.

They added that Buddie was likely suffering for months rather than weeks - and had urgently needed veterinary help.

Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court heard Buddie was too poorly by the time he got treatment when he looked like a 'bag of bones' and had to be put to sleep.

A vet told the court: 'It seems very unlikely that a dog of such loving nature and large stature would have been missing for seven weeks without anyone finding him and bringing him to either a veterinary practice or to the RSPCA.

'It is also clear from the conversation that I had with Mr Morgan that he did not seek or have intentions of seeking veterinary treatment for the lump, inappetance or weight loss.

'As a consequence, I feel Buddie was suffering whilst in this poor condition - uncomfortable when trying to sit down, weak, malnourished and regurgitating after food (likely due to the size of the lumps pressing on his food pipe).

'In my opinion, I feel this dog was suffering for longer than seven weeks, at a minimum three months but possibly longer.

'Veterinarian opinion should have been sought as soon as he started going off his food and losing weight, as this would have started to impact on his quality of life.

'Buddie should never have been left this long and by doing so Mr Morgan had failed in his duty of care to Buddie and allowed him to suffer unnecessarily.'

Morgan pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal under the Animal Welfare Act.

Morgan, of Merthyr Tydfil, was disqualified from keeping all animals for 10 years and ordered to pay £500 costs.

He was also handed a 12 month community order which included 135 hours unpaid work and 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement.

RSPCA deputy chief inspector Gemma Cooper who collected Buddie's body from the vets said she could see every bone in his body and he was covered in lumps.

Speaking after the sentence, she said: 'This is a very sad case, and we're very sorry to hear that Buddie didn't make it.

'We'd like to thank the member of the public who took him to the vets and the staff at the vets who gave him emergency care when he arrived.

'Sadly he had been neglected and the failure of veterinary care and attention for his condition meant that he would have been suffering for some time.'