DOG OWNER BANNED AFTER STARVING XL BULLY IN STIRLING
A Stirling man who starved his XL bully to less than half the breed’s usual weight has been banned from keeping animals for three years.Dylan McKie, of Cowie, just outside Stirling, kept the XL bully locked in a cage in a kitchen, where it was left to lie in its own filth.
The dog – called Rolo – developed sores on its legs and an injury to its tail, none of which were treated by a vet.
At Stirling Sheriff Court McKie pled guilty to a charge of failing to meet the needs of an animal.
Fiscal depute Lucy Clark said the dog was “exceptionally underweight”.
“The SSPCA became involved when a concerned member of the public contacted them about the condition the dog was in,” she said.
“There was some difficulty gaining access to the dog but they attended on August 19 (last year) and the accused allowed an individual from the SSPCA access to the property and the dog was found in the condition depicted.” “The dog weighed 15.6 kg, with a score of one over nine in terms of thinness.” “The tail had also been damaged and there was wounds on the hock and elbow caused by lying on the hard surface.” It is understood Rolo has since been destroyed due to being a banned breed.
McKie admitted failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of the dog were met between June and August 2024.
He kept it in a cage which was saturated with urine and faeces, had no clean or comfortable bedding and had sharp and hazardous parts.
He also stopped the dog displaying normal behaviour by failing to allow it space to move.
Representing himself, McKie told the court he was unable to spare the time to look after the dog.
He said: “I work from Monday to Friday and some Saturdays and would only be in on the Sunday or after work.” “Most weekends, I want to be with my child.” Noting the dog had been bought as a present for his then-partner, Sheriff Neil Kinnear opted to impose a financial penalty.
He fined the 24-year-old £380 and imposed the ban on keeping dogs.
XL Bullies are a banned breed in the UK, with males typically weighing between 36 and 64kg.
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