A dog owner from Swansea, south Wales, has been banned from keeping animals for 15 years and handed a suspended prison sentence after allowing two Jack Russell Terriers to become severely obese. William Johns, 68, pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and received an eight-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years.
Extreme Obesity Discovered by RSPCA
The RSPCA found the terriers, named Cai and Lily, to be grossly overweight when they visited Johns' home. Lily weighed 14.2kg, making her the most overweight dog a vet and an RSPCA inspector had ever seen. Cai was suffering from heart failure and was so unwell that a vet decided the best course of action was to put him down.
RSPCA Inspector Gemma Cooper said: "These poor dogs were allowed to balloon in weight by the defendant's inability to provide a balanced diet for them. One of them became so ill that he had to be put to sleep and had we not returned to the property, the second dog may also have become seriously unwell."
Details of the Investigation
The court heard that RSPCA animal rescue officer Ethan Griffin visited Johns' home on September 24 last year. During the visit, Cai was found in a collapsed state with urine stains over his body. Johns agreed to allow the officer to take the dog to a vet. During a follow-up visit, Johns was advised to take Lily to a vet to be weighed and placed on a diet, but he refused to cooperate with RSPCA officers.
On December 14, RSPCA Inspector Gemma Cooper and officers from South Wales Police visited the home. Lily was seized, and Inspector Cooper said in a statement: "When I went to take her from the police officer, it was difficult to hold her like a normal dog, as her torso was just so rounded and solid. In my 15 years as an RSPCA inspector, I have never seen a dog so overweight."
Veterinary Assessment
A vet examined Cai and found him in the end stage of heart failure, with a body condition score of nine out of nine (five is considered a healthy weight). Lily also had a body condition score of nine out of nine. A vet who examined her said she was out of breath most of the time at the clinic. "She weighed 14.2 kgs and the level of obesity was one of the worst I have seen. She had difficulty moving around, and by keeping a dog in this abnormal state, the owner failed in their duty of care to provide a suitable diet and control their pet's weight. The dog suffered for a prolonged period of at least a month if not longer," the vet stated.
Recovery and Sentencing
Following the investigation, Lily was put on a diet and lost more than 2kg in the first month in the RSPCA's care. She has since made a good recovery and will be rehomed by the charity. In mitigation, the court was told that Johns was unable to care for the dogs due to health issues, including Parkinson's disease and reduced mobility after having a leg amputated. He later agreed to sign Lily over to the RSPCA. At the hearing on June 22, Johns was also ordered to pay £400 court costs and a victim surcharge of £187.
