Man banned from keeping dogs after disgusting treatment of German Shepherds in Yorkshire

Sam Hussain, 71, of Bridge Close, Airmyn, was sentenced at Doncaster Magistrates Court on Monday January 23, having pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to two dogs.

This included failing to take them for veterinary treatment despite both having painful and obvious, long-standing medical conditions and not meeting one of the dogs needs.

He was sentenced to 24 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months.

As well as the suspended prison sentence and 10 year ban, Hussain was also ordered to pay £800 in costs (£400 for each dog) and £128 victim surcharge.

The court heard that when RSPCA officers visited Mr Hussain’s premises in January 2022, they found two German Shepherd dogs (GSDs) being kept in filthy, hazardous and inadequate conditions, with the elderly male displaying signs of extreme discomfort when he moved.

The owner agreed to immediately sign the male dog over to the RSPCA, but not the female dog, Tina.

When Tyson was taken for a veterinary examination, he was sadly found to be suffering from an untreated and painful tumour along with other debilitating medical conditions.

The vet subsequently made the difficult decision to prevent further suffering by putting Tyson to sleep.

Meanwhile, the owner had agreed to improving conditions for Tina.

However, after several follow-up visits by the RSPCA to check on her, although a few changes had been made, conditions had not improved for Tina in any substantial way.

When she was taken for a veterinary examination, she was also found to be suffering from an untreated and painful tumour - Hussain had failed to take her to a vet for treatment.

Tina was eventually signed over to the RSPCA and the vet subsequently made the difficult decision to prevent further suffering by putting Tina to sleep.

RSPCA deputy chief inspector Claire Mitchell said: “It was this individual’s legal responsibility to care for his dogs and he failed to do this. There was no excuse for not providing those two poor dogs with their basic needs and failing to seek veterinary care for them when it was abundantly clear that they so desperately needed it.

“These were tragic cases and simply shouldn’t have happened. The RSPCA urges anyone struggling to take care of their pet to ask for help, rather than neglecting them and leaving them to suffer.”

During a visit to the defendant’s premises, Tyson, an elderly-looking black and tan male GSD was found in a dilapidated outbuilding with no doors, filled with old machinery, tools, cars and scrap. He was tethered to a metal pillar with a chain and was curled up in a ball on a pile of rubble.

On the same premises, RSPCA officers found that ‘Tina’, a black and tan female GSD had a thick matted coat and was very smelly. She was losing lots of hair but the hair on her back was matted and clumped. She was inappropriately tethered with a heavy chain and had only a 7ft circular area to walk in.

Inspector Mitchell added: “In my opinion both dogs were living in bare, desolate conditions which were wholly inappropriate for them, especially taking into consideration their age.”