RSPCA prosecutes Walthamstow man who abandoned dog

A man has been banned from keeping dogs after abandoning his emaciated pet to the extent that she had to be put down.

Carl Playfair, of Blythe Road, Walthamstow, pleaded guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act and was sentenced at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on September 13.

The 40-year-old has been banned from keeping canines for ten years and handed a suspended prison sentence after a prosecution by the RSPCA.

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The court was told that a Staffordshire bull terrier cross called Princess was found abandoned in a weak and extremely emaciated condition after a call was made to the RSPCA’s cruelty line.

RSPCA animal rescue officer (ARO) Nicola Thomas, along with police and fire officers, attended Playfair's home address in Walthamstow on December 11 last year.

Princess was kept in terrible condition and was put down by vets to end her suffering (Image: RSPCA)

The Staffie was seized by police and taken to a veterinary hospital, but she was so poorly that a vet later decided the kindest thing to do was to put her to sleep to end her suffering.

ARO Thomas said in a statement presented to the court: “I could see every bone in the dog's hips, spine and legs and the sides of her head were sunken in. Her eyes appeared to be cloudy looking and she was weak and having difficulty standing. 

“At one point she did stand up, but it was for a very short period of time and she was wobbling on her legs.

"In the room she was in there was urine and faeces on the floor, along with empty food wrappings and some empty dog food tins that had what appeared to have teeth marks in the metal."

A vet report heard by the court stated the dog was suffering from dehydration and weighed only 10.45kg.

Her ribs, pelvic bones and spine were all visible from a distance and she scored the lowest score possible (one out of nine) on a body condition rating.

The vet concluded that Princess’ emaciation and dehydration were the result of liver disease and it was also possible that a lack of food and water had contributed to her losing weight.

“I would estimate that it would take at least three weeks to reach this level of emaciation if the dog had previously been a normal weight,” said the vet. “She would have been suffering for at least three weeks and, possibly, much longer. 

“Her condition was obvious and would be readily apparent to a lay person and could have been avoided or at least reduced by seeking veterinary advice as soon as she started to lose weight or show other signs of illness.”

In mitigation the court was told that the defendant was suffering from alcoholism and mental health problems. 

Playfair was given a 12-week custodial term which was suspended for 12 months and he was told to complete ten rehabilitation activity days.

The magistrates also ordered him to complete a six-month alcohol treatment programme.