Father and son sentenced in animal cruelty case (From Penarth Times)

Father and son sentenced in animal cruelty case

12:30pm Saturday 21st March 2009 in Latest news

A FATHER and son from Penarth have been banned from keeping animals for life, after failing to provide veterinary treatment for a German Shepherd guard dog who was deemed to be in such a poor condition, that it was put to sleep on welfare grounds.

As previously reported in the Penarth Times, Robert Joseph Arthur Pocock, aged 58, and David Robert George Pocock, aged 26, both of Redlands Road, pleaded guilty to failing to provide veterinary treatment for the 15-year-old animal.

The pair were sentenced at Cardiff Magistrates Court this week.

Robert Pocock was given a six-month community order, a six-month supervision order and placed under curfew, and ordered to pay £2,000 costs.

David Pocock received a 12-month community order with 300 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £1,254 costs.

Cardiff Magistrates Court previously heard that in August 2008, an RSPCA inspector examined the dog, named Rex, during a visit to ABC Dismantlers in Curran Road, Cardiff.

The inspector found that the animal was underweight, had badly matted hair and was in poor physical condition.

The court heard that the dog was taken to Valley Vets, where the vet noted the poor muscle mass of all major muscle groups and the ribs, spine and bones of the pelvis were clearly palpable. There was also an overpowering stench from the dog of urine, faeces and infected tissue.

Closer examination revealed the left dew claw of the dog had ingrown through the underside of his paw and the sharp tip of the nail had grown through the skin and tissue and had exited through the skin on the upper side of the foot.

There was also a foul smelling discharge from the wound.

After a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, a further examination took place 48 hours later but the animal was deemed to be in such a poor condition, that it was put to sleep on welfare grounds.