Man who let dog suffer ear infection for six years jailed

Daryn Devine, of Drybeck Grove, Sutton pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a white female American bulldog called Angel.

He was also given a 10-year ban on keeping dogs at the hearing at Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates' Court.

The court heard how the RSPCA was called to investigate reports that Devine’s American Bulldog called Angel was suffering from a chronic ear infection which he had failed to seek veterinary treatment for.

Angel

RSPCA animal rescuer, inspector Caren Goodman-James went to his home address on October 30 last year and was invited into the property by a woman who said she was looking after the dog while Devine was in prison.

The garden of the house was full of rubbish and faeces and the house was strewn with litter.

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Caren observed Angel and could see how she regularly shook her head and would rub her head against the sofa.

Her right ear was inflamed and looked hard and solid. Her other ear was inflamed and red, she also had red around her muzzle. Her claws were long, overgrown and folding back under her foot with all four of her feet inflamed and red.

She told the woman that the dog was in need of urgent veterinary attention and the woman agreed to allow Caren to take Angel for treatment at the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital.

Staff at the hospital were very concerned for Angels’ poor health but in their care she responded well to treatment.

Angel

They were also able to access her clinical records from a vet she was registered with in Liverpool and found she had a long history of ear and skin infections which were first noted six years before in 2014.

The notes also showed how Angel had a stent placed in her badly infected ears on December 1 to open them up for medication two weeks later.

But Angel was not presented at the vets again until March 9 causing her ear canal to be more thickened and leaving them in place for almost three months would have caused her severe discomfort. Her clinical notes show follow up veterinary appointments were also ignored.

Angel

A senior clinician at Greater Manchester Animal Hospital who examined Angel described her ears as “the most severe examples of chronic pinnal thickening and narrowing of the ear canals I have seen in my 10 years as a veterinary surgeon”.

She added: “I imagine the dog had been suffering with ear pain for years, on and off due to repeated flare ups, which were either not reported to a vet in a timely manner or left to continue when veterinary advice was frankly ignored.”

Caren said: “The owner was aware that Angel had severe ear problems but left her with the worsening condition rather than taking her for treatment. There is never an excuse not to seek veterinary help for a pet.

“Sadly she was left in this suffering state for six years and it must have been awful for her to have this constant aggravation.

“She was really subdued and very sorry for herself when we first took her on but now she is really happy and bouncy - it just goes to show how a bit of TLC can make all the difference.”

Angel is now in the care of the Wirral and Chester branch of the RSPCA and will be ready for adoption soon.

However she will need to find a home near to the centre for her on going veterinary treatment

Kay Hawthorne, centre manager, said: “Angel will need treatment for life which the branch will cover but we would need her new home to be in the vicinity so she can be brought back for her ongoing veterinary treatment.

“She is such a loveable and friendly dog, so I am sure she will make a great addition to someone’s life.”

Anyone interested in adopting Angel you can email the branch to express an interest at rspcawirral@btconnect.com