DUNFERMLINE MAN GUILTY OF CAUSING NEGLECT AND SUFFERING TO NEGLECTED BULLDOG LOLA
Scottish SPCA staff nursed a neglected bulldog back to health after she was discovered by gas engineers at almost half her body weight in a squalid Fife home.Gas engineers discovered Lola at Jeorgio Dolan’s property on September 4 2024.
Prosecutor Annie MacDonald told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court: “The Scottish SPCA’s Inspector Ferrier was made aware of a dog found inside the locus.
“Every bone was visible.
“The condition of the property was terrible.
It was gas engineers who had found the dog.
“A witness stated the dog had been found in the living room but they’d been unable to make contact with the tenant.” Ms MacDonald continued: “At 9.45am, Inspector Ferrier arrived at the locus, she observed the dog to be low in energy but friendly.
“The two witnesses stated they had found her in the living room surrounded by rubbish and faeces.
“The dog had no access to other rooms.
On entering the property, the living room was in a disgraceful condition.
“There was human food rubbish, dog food cans and at least a week’s worth of faeces on the floor.
Some faeces was mouldy.
“There was no food in the living room.” The dog was taken to a vet with a body score of 1/9, the most extreme category of emaciation.
Bones were visible from a distance and the dog had no palpable body fat.
Although a healthy weight would have been between 27kg and 35kg, the dog weighed 17.5kg.
It had tacky gums consistent with dehydration and its mucus membranes were poor, consistent with anaemia as a result of starvation.
The vet also discovered a heart murmur and tartar on the dog’s teeth.
It was established the dog had been suffering unnecessarily for between a fortnight and two months.
Ms MacDonald explained Inspector Ferrier had attended the property in Kinghorn in April 2024 over concerns about the same dog.
The bulldog was taken into Scottish SPCA care.
By September the heart murmur had disappeared and by October, her weight was up to 25kg.
Previously, Dolan pled guilty to causing the dog unnecessary suffering.
He admitted that since July 24 that year, he had failed to provide adequate food and water resulting in Lola becoming emaciated.
He failed to seek veterinary attention for her malnourished condition, heart murmur, overgrown nails and decaying teeth.
Sentencing had been deferred for social workers to interview 20-year-old Dolan, now of Dunfermline.
His solicitor Martin McGuire said: “Mr Dolan is properly contrite over his failures.
“He wasn’t looking after his own affairs at the time.” Mr McGuire explained his client is due to undergo a one-day wrist operation under local anaesthetic in January.
Sheriff Steven Borthwick KC placed Dolan under supervision for a year and confirmed he planned to impose unpaid work after the offender had recovered from his operation, as a direct alternative to imprisonment.
The sheriff said: “It’s clear that this dog was caused unnecessary suffering, which resulted in significant physical impairment.
“It’s simply by fortune that the dog has been restored to health.
You can take no credit for that.” The court does view this as a serious matter.
“In the overall circumstances of this case and in particular the nature of the charge you’ve pled guilty to and resulting suffering which was caused, I do consider it is appropriate to impose a disqualification order on you.” Dolan was prohibited from keeping or caring for any dog breed for five years.
A Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “The dog had clearly been abandoned within the property for a significant amount of time with no food or water provisions; luckily the Scottish SPCA were called before it was too late.
“Due to the amazing Scottish SPCA centre staff and vets, the dog has made a full recovery and has been successfully rehomed.”
