A Clydebank man has been handed a five-year ban on owning and keeping animals after subjecting a three-year-old cat to pain and suffering over at least a two-month period, resulting in the cat being humanely euthanised to end her suffering.
Leslie John Precey appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Tuesday January 10 and was handed a five-year ban on owning and keeping animals for the suffering he inflicted upon his cat, Ursula.
He was also given a community payback order and sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid work.
Severe anaemia, covered in fleas and in extremely poor condition
The Scottish SPCA received a call from a vet in September 2024 who reported concerns for Precey’s cat Ursula. The three-year-old cat had been brought into the vet by Precey with severe anaemia, covered in fleas, suffering with hair loss and in extremely poor body condition.
A Scottish SPCA Inspector had previously attended Precey’s residence in November 2023 following a call to the society’s helpline raising concerns for four cats living at the property. At the time, Precey was provided with support and advice on how to adequately care for his cats going forward.
The Scottish SPCA had no further involvement until September 2024, when concerns were reported by the vet. The vet had decided to keep Ursula in order to administer vital care.
Her skin was raw, thickened and inflamed
Ursula was severely emaciated, and her poor condition showed she had been suffering unnecessarily for several months. The cat was also suffering from severe anaemia due to being infested with fleas. She had lost large patches of her hair, and her skin was raw, thickened and inflamed.
The vet said: “Ursula’s case is one of the worst examples of neglect I’ve encountered in my long career. She was literally just a bag of bones covered with diseased skin. Her body temperature was so low that it didn’t register on the thermometer, she was emaciated and profoundly anaemic. Most of her body was missing fur, her skin was raw, flea dirt was everywhere, and fleas were swarming her body.”
Despite the vet’s best attempts to help her, she was humanely euthanised due to the extent of her suffering after falling into a state of unconsciousness.
It was decided the remaining cat in Precey’s residence would be taken into the care of the Scottish SPCA. The two other cats that had been in his care in November 2023 had already been rehomed.
Ursula’s death was totally avoidable
The vet said: “Ursula’s death was totally avoidable. Her cause of death was severe anaemia caused by the swarm of fleas draining her life blood away over a period of several weeks.
“Any reasonable pet owner would not have watched an animal visibly and very obviously decline over a period of probably several months and not seek veterinary attention until that animal was collapsed and dying, especially after already receiving advice and guidance.”
The Scottish SPCA is calling for a national animal offenders register to be built into existing intelligence systems to support monitoring of individuals convicted of animal cruelty – particularly those banned from owning animals – and flag offenders like Precey. Importantly, it would also help address the well-established link between those who harm animals and those who go on to harm humans.
Read our full manifesto.
To report any act of cruelty, visit the Scottish SPCA website.
