24-year-old Chantelle Margaret Angela Crossan and 23-year-old Liam McLachlan of Carmyle Avenue, Glasgow pled guilty to the charge of failing to provide two dogs in their care, three-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier Kenzo and a five-month-old cane corso cross called Tyson, with appropriate pain relief and veterinary treatment for their emaciated and underweight body conditions at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 10 May 2023.
At the same court on 7 June 2023, Crossan received 80 hours of community service and a ban of six years from owning/keeping any animal and McLachlan received 120 hours of community service and a ban of six years from owning/keeping any animal.
Scottish SPCA chief inspector McIntyre said: “On 30 January 2022 we attended Carmyle Avenue, Glasgow in response to information we had received from our animal helpline. The information came from a complainant who stated that they were concerned for two dogs at the address as they had heard noises coming from the property which sounded like the dogs were fighting.
“We had tried to make previous contact with the owner of the dogs on 21 January 2022, after receiving information from our animal helpline regarding a separate complaint that the dogs were underweight.
“An appointment was made to visit the address to view the dogs on 24 January 2022, but the owner then cancelled the visit, and asked to rearrange it for the following week.
“On 30 January we were met at the door by a woman who identified herself as Chantelle Crossan.
“Inside the property were two dogs, a white and tan coloured, female, Staffordshire bull terrier type dog called Kenzo, and a dark brindle coloured, male, cane corso type dog, called Tyson.
“We could see straight away that both dogs were in poor condition. Kenzo was underweight, with her hips and spine visible. Tyson was emaciated, with all ribs clearly visible, as well as his hip bones and spine being very prominent underneath his fur. His skin also appeared to be in poor condition and was very dry and flaky, with some hair loss around his legs and face.
“We asked for some further details regarding the dogs, including their ages, and whether they were under any veterinary treatment. They stated that Kenzo was approximately three years old and that Tyson was approximately five months old. It was stated that neither dog was under veterinary treatment.
“It was advised that the dogs were in need of immediate veterinary attention and that we would be removing the dogs due to concerns for their welfare.
“Both dogs were immediately taken to be examined by a vet who confirmed that Kenzo was very underweight and that no injuries or underlying conditions were evident.
“Tyson was emaciated. His legs had very little muscle and his groin had thin, taught skin as there was so little tissue due to his malnutrition. He had hair loss on both thighs which was attributed to his malnutrition. He had mild redness in his right ear and one of his testicles was not fully developed.
“Due to the absence of any injuries or obvious underlying conditions, the vet’s opinion was that this low body condition was due to chronic underfeeding and negligence. The dogs further had their welfare compromised by the failure to seek veterinary treatment to find out if there was an underlying reason for their poor condition.
“The vet estimated it would have taken a period of at least three months for the dogs to come to be in this condition.
“This has been exacerbated in the case of Tyson as he was such a young puppy and would have needed extra nutrition to maintain condition and to develop appropriately. The long term effects of malnutrition at this stage may still impact him in the future.
“We are pleased that both Crossan and McLachlan have been banned from owning or keeping animals but, given the level of neglect, we would have liked it to be for a longer period of time.
“If anyone is concerned about the welfare of an animal they can call our confidential helpline on 03000 999 999.”
