Gloucester man banned from keeping animals

22 March 2019, 14:48 | Updated: 22 March 2019, 14:53

A man from Gloucester has been given a suspended prison sentence and a ban for letting dogs suffer during the Beast from the East.

Bull terriers Dessa and Diesel were left to live outside a home in the city in freezing conditions without adequate shelter.

Derrick Daniel Dawkins, 57, was given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and banned from keeping any animal for ten years.

Dessa and Diesel both had untreated skin lesions on their legs when they were discovered in the snow-covered yard in March 2018.

One of the dogs was also tethered by a chain that had become entangled.

RSPCA Inspector Phil Mann, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said: ''As temperatures dropped below zero and snow covered the country, Dessa and Diesel were outside day and night without appropriate shelter.

''When I saw them locked outside, I feared that if I didn’t help them straight away there would have been two dead dogs the following morning.

''Simply leaving pets outside to fend for themselves without shelter should never be seen as an option. Dogs must have constant access to a suitable shelter, and owners should also ensure bedding and sleeping areas are warm, dry and away from any draughts.

''It is shocking that Dawkins left these dogs outside during such horrendous conditions and even more heartbreaking to discover they had been left to suffer with painful, untreated sores.''

Dawkins was also ordered to pay £750 court costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

Dessa and Diesel have both now recovered from their ordeal while in the care of the team at the Cotswold Dogs and Cats Home.

While the team is still working with Diesel as he gets ready to be rehomed, five-year-old Dessa is already looking for a special someone to give her a second chance.