Starving dogtried to eat sofa

Members at last Thursday night’s Operational Services Committee agreed to prosecute the owner of the dog which had been seized by the council.

The Animal Welfare Officer called to the property in the Harryville area on January 7 and discovered the black Staffordshire Bull Terrier that appeared emaciated and unable to move. Members heard that the officer observed the dog lying on a sofa which had chew marks on it. The dog was unable to move and appeared to be in need of emergency medical attention. It was added that the dog was in a skeletal state and had no access to food in the shed at all.

The dog was seized and taken to the vet who was unable to get a temperature from it as it was so hypothermic.

Members heard that the vet advised the dog was in such a state that it needed to be humanely destroyed to alleviate its suffering. Post Mortem results revealed that the dog had no food in its stomach and the foreign material in its stomach implied the dog was eating the sofa at the property as it was so starved.

The seriousness of the offence meant a formal caution was not appropriate and members agreed the council would take this to the Magistrates Court.