Man handed animal ban after dog found in bath of debris after police forced entry to junk-filled house

A man has been banned from owning animals after his dog was found sitting in a debris-filled bath when police forced entry to a property in Maybole.

The Scottish SPCA received a call to its helpline regarding the welfare of a Border Collie, owned by Ronan Jackson, which was being kept at the property in South Ayrshire.

The caller reported that the dog was being kept in the bathroom, often locked in for a long time and rarely seen outside of the house.

The animal welfare charity attended the address, where they received no reply but noticed the garden was untidy and strewn with junk.

After Jackson refused entry to the property, a warrant was granted, and the SSPCA was able to attend with officers from Police Scotland.

An inspector said the floor of the hallway could not be seen due to the volume of rubbish, while the smell from inside was “overpowering”.

The Border Collie, Meg, was found sitting within a debris-filled bathtub and was quickly removed from the house.

A small tortoise was also found in a barren vivarium with no food or enrichment.

Both Meg and the tortoise, now known as Pebble, were seized and taken to the nearby Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre.

Jackson was sentenced at Ayr Sheriff Court on April 21 to a Community Payback Order and has been placed under supervision for one year.

He was also handed a disqualification order for owning and keeping animals for five years, after failing to provide Meg and Pebble with a safe and sanitary living environment, and exposing his dog to hazardous household waste over a lengthy period of time.

Jackson also failed to provide both animals with a suitable diet and clean drinking water.

He was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work within a nine-month period.

A vet concluded that the lack of a suitable environment and diet will have impacted both Meg and Pebble’s ability to exhibit normal behaviour and exposed them to suffering, injury and disease. Both recovered well after extensive rehabilitation from the Scottish SPCA and have since been rehomed.

A Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “The conditions in which Meg and Pebble were kept in were wholly unsuitable and posed a clear risk to their welfare. The environment was unhygienic, cluttered with hazards, and did not meet even their most basic needs in terms of care, diet and access to clean water.

“It was particularly concerning that Meg sustained a significant injury while an attempt was made to groom her without appropriate care or expertise which caused her unnecessary suffering.

“Jackson’s lack of cooperation made it more difficult to address these concerns at an early stage, and it was necessary for us to take further action to ensure both animals were protected.

“We are pleased that Meg and Pebble have made a good recovery and are now in safe and caring homes.”