DERBYSHIRE MAN AVOIDS JAIL AFTER DOG FOUND IN TERRIBLE CONDITION

A Derbyshire man has avoided jail after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an old English bulldog named AJ by failing to investigate the dog’s poor condition and weight loss. Joseph Heald of Clarendon Road, Chesterfield, appeared before Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on June 16. The court heard that the RSPCA responded to a report from a concerned member of the public who noted AJ was kept outside constantly, was getting "thinner and thinner," and struggled to stand. Although the member of the public offered to take AJ to a vet, Heald refused. RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Sophie Taylor attended with police in March last year, discovering AJ inside a small bathroom surrounded by urine and faeces. The dog’s spine, ribs, and skull were all highly visible and pronounced, and he looked miserable and in pain, with no muscles on his back legs and difficulty moving. A police officer described it as the worst condition they had ever seen for a dog, and it was so upsetting it brought tears to their eyes. AJ was removed and examined by a vet, who found him emaciated with very little muscle mass and a body condition score of just 1 out of 9. Despite being able to walk, he was very weak and exhibited signs of hypothermia with a temperature of 33.7°C, along with sores. An expert vet concluded AJ had suffered "unnecessarily, physically and mentally" for at least one month, likely up to six months, due to malnutrition, hypothermia, and joint pain, which would have been obvious to anyone paying attention. Sophie Taylor was relieved that AJ responded well to treatment and health improvement efforts, eventually gaining weight and mobility. AJ has since been rehomed to a caring family. In court, it was heard that Heald was remorseful and experiencing personal strain at the time, which had impacted his ability to care for the dog. The court ordered Heald to disqualify from keeping animals for 15 years, sentenced him to 136 days in prison (suspended for 18 months), and ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, along with a £600 costs and a £154 victim surcharge. Additionally, Heald was disqualified from owning animals for 15 years. A second defendant had also pleaded guilty to related offences earlier and received a 12-week suspended prison sentence, a 15-year animal ban, and financial penalties. The court acknowledged that the defendant was overwhelmed and lacked funds for veterinary care but had shown genuine remorse.