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NEGLECTED: The German Shepherds were left without food and water
‘Animal lover’ neglected pups
12/ 3/2008
A MAN who left three puppies in ‘atrocious’ conditions without any food or water was described to a court as ‘clearly an animal lover’ by his solicitor.
So hungry were the German Shepherd pups, owned by Kevin Ward, that they had eaten wood shavings coated in their own diarrhoea from the base of the cramped cage they were trapped in.
Ward, 51, kept the German Shepherd pups at Edge Lane allotments, Droylsden.
An RSPCA inspector had visited the plot in March last year after receiving a report about a dog attacking poultry stored there. On arrival she found six chicken carcasses and a barking sound alerted them to a shed. Police officers and a vet joined the inspector and they found three underweight and dehydrated pups huddled at the back of a diarrhoea-covered pen. The inspector said the pen was covered, but gave little protection from the cold.
There were pans on the floor. One of ‘disgusting-looking’ old dog food and one containing green stagnant water. The base of the pen was covered in a ‘mixture of faeces and wood shavings’ with no raised area for the dogs to sleep. The dog’s coats were ‘caked in faeces’.
On interview Ward, of Bollington Road, Miles Platting, said it had been St Patrick’s day and he’d been out for a drink. He said he’d been ill and had asked somebody else to look after the animals. He pleaded guilty to six charges of animal cruelty.
In defence Karibo Lawson talked about his client caring for other animals and said it was ‘not a situation where he is cruel to animals’.
He said: "It’s ironic that Mr Ward is here facing these charges. I say that because he brought them over from Ireland to save them. The animals were in fact being looked after by his sister in Ireland and he felt they were not being looked after properly."
He said Ward had been unable to find them a home and had instructed somebody to look after them. He said he wasn’t aware that person hadn’t been doing so.
He added: "He tried his best to care for these animals. He and his wife care for other animals.
"He’s an animal lover himself which is why he felt these animals were suffering. That, in his defence, is his crime — that he brought them over."
The case was adjourned until 26 March for the probation service to complete a standard delivery report and Ward was given unconditional bail.
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18/03/2008 at 22:40
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