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Ross man in court for starving dog





Urquhart's emaciated pet, photographed after being taken into the care of the Scottish SPCA.
Urquhart's emaciated pet, photographed after being taken into the care of the Scottish SPCA.

A ROSS-SHIRE man’s dog was so starved that it could hardly stand, a court has heard.

The emaciated greyhound-cross belonging to Neil Urquhart (43) from Cromarty only received attention after it went into another property and the alarmed nieghour called the SSPCA.

Urquhart, of Townlands Park, admitted being responsible for the black female greyhound-cross dog between September and December 2013 when he caused it unnecessary suffering by failing to provide nutrition and basic grooming causing its nails to be overgrown.

Depute fiscal Stewart Maciver said the dog was so emaciated it was unsteady on its feet.

Mr Maciver said the dog went on to a neighbour’s property and he was concerned because the dog was so thin and weak and its nails were curling. He fed the dog before contacting the animal welfare charity.

The fiscal said when the dog was taken into care by the SSPCA it weighed 7.8kgs and by February after proper care and feeding it made a good recovery and weighed 12 kgs.

Mr Maciver said the dog’s name was WKD.

"That may or may not be after an alcoholic refreshment of the same name," he said.

Urquhart signed the dog over to the ownership of the SSPCA on December 27.

The fiscal said it was a black and white female bitch, and it looked like a greyhound but was cross-bred.

Mr Maciver said when the SSPCA inspectors spoke to Urquhart he told them it had been his wife’s dog and she had taken it to a vet and had been told the weight loss was due to a liver infection.

"The SSPCA went to the vet and there was no record of this visit," he added.

"Blood tests were taken by the SSPCA and there was no evidence of infection. It was simply a case of the dog not having been properly fed or exercised."

Urquhart, who is unemployed and represented himself in court, told the sheriff he had no other animals but he had signed another dog over to the SSPCA.

He said the greyhound belonged to his wife but they separated. She was not allowed to keep the dog on her property and his life he said had taken a downward spiral.

He had no plans to keep a dog and did not oppose a banning order.

Sheriff Andrew Miller told him: "This is a serious offence. Up and down the country the lives of people are enriched by pets and it’s important that anyone who brings an animal into their home looks after it.

"In this case there was a significant failing to provide this dog with the absolute basic level of care and feeding and this is shown in these very unpleasant photographs before the court."

He fined Urquhart £200 as well as imposing a five-year ban from owning dogs under the Animal Welfare Scotland Act.


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