Man fined £800 after chronically underweight Selkirk dog died 'writhing in agony'

A man has been fined £800 for severely neglecting his dog after it died “writhing in agony”.

The Scottish SPCA were alerted about a dog passed into a vet’s care on May 19, 2022.

A vet was called to Stephen Gardiner’s home after a relative raised concerns about his pet, Max, who was left in distress for hours.

The male dog was found barely responsive and unable to get up. His coat was heavily soiled with urine and faeces, and he was severely matted.

Max was stretchered out of the property due to his condition.

The vet said: “He seemed very weak and was in distress. He was also visibly underweight, with his ribs, spine, and pelvic bones easily visible from a distance.”

Upon arrival at the veterinary practice, Max’s breathing worsened significantly. The team attempted to carry out emergency work on the dog, however, he started to “writhe in agony” and his heart stopped.

The vet added: “Upon examination, we concluded Max had been either chronically underweight for a period of more than eight weeks or had lost a substantial amount of weight within a time frame of approximately six to eight weeks. He would have benefitted from veterinary attention in either scenario.

“We struggled to clip the hair on his leg using electric clippers when at the surgery due to the extent of matting present. There was a strong potent odour from Max due to his coat being so heavily soiled. I was unable to take a temperature as the hair around his anus was impenetrable.

“In my opinion, it would have taken at least several weeks to result in the extent of coat matting that Max had. I believe that Max suffered unnecessarily for a substantial period of time – seven to ten days at a minimum.”

Upon further examination, the vet determined that Max would’ve been unable to go the toilet due to significant matting.

A Scottish SPCA inspector attended Gardiner’s property and removed the remaining dog, named Memphis, from the property. He was taken to the SSPCA’s Edinburgh Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.

A post-mortem examination of Max found the severity of the matted hair and failure to address the weight loss were consistent with neglect and it is likely to have compromised the animal’s welfare.

The man was sentenced to an £800 fine and a £40 victim surcharge on March 17 after pleading guilty to failing to seek veterinary attention for his soiled and matted coat.

Gardiner did not receive a ban from owning dogs.

The SSPCA say they have been left “disappointed that a harsher punishment wasn’t imposed”.

A SSPCA inspector said: “We believe the offences were serious enough for a ban on owning animals to be imposed. Max was left in severe distress and pain for weeks, and the sentencing is not in line with the suffering inflicted on the poor animal.

“Stephen Gardiner showed complete disregard for the welfare of the animal in his care. The condition Max was found in was shocking and heart-breaking.

“This was a missed opportunity to show that animal neglect will not be tolerated in Scotland.”