Man who refused vet treatment for dog later put down banned from owning animals

A man whose dog had to be put down after he failed to get it treated for an abscess has been banned from owning animals for five years.

Connor Cowie was reported to the Scottish SPCA by a concerned member of the public who noticed a large swelling on the left side of his dog’s face in July 2025.

Cowie, from Aberdeen, was visited by one of the charity’s inspectors, who discovered that his 14-year-old male Staffordshire Bull Terrier, named Kaido, had a suspected abscess.

After telling the charity that he could not afford vet treatment and was not registered with the PDSA, the inspector took Kaido to a vet.

Cowie was given antibiotics for the dog and told to bring him back in a week after the SSPCA registered him at the vet.

The dog owner failed to attend the appointment.

The inspector also found that Cowie’s home was dirty and cluttered, with a strong smell of excrement.

After a number of failed attempts to reach Cowie, a warrant was obtained to enter the property and rescue Kaido.

A vet confirmed that Cowie had caused Kaido unnecessary suffering by failing to have a painful ear infection treated and had allowed it to get so severe that an abscess had formed.

It was concluded Kaido’s condition would have taken at least two months to be as severe as it was. He had to be euthanised due to his condition.

Connor appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on March 23, where he was handed a five-year ban on owning and keeping all animals, as well as a Community Payback Order, and ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work over an 18-month period.

The Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “I am pleased with the sentence but extremely disappointed with Cowie. I believed he had his own struggles, and I made an effort to help him.

“He had absolutely no excuse for not providing his dog with veterinary treatment, as I arranged everything for him, from covering the cost of initial vet treatment to assisting with registration at the PDSA and making appointments.

“I can only conclude that Cowie held no regard for his dog’s welfare. This was also substantiated by his failure to take on advice and clean his property.”