A dog was just days from starving to death when he was rescued from a room where his cruel owner had left him locked in with no water
Despicable Mark Gallagher left Tyson in an upstairs room which was covered in faeces and urine, with a sofa which had no cushions. Newcastle Crown Court heard there was a small amount of dog food in a bowl but the pet had no access to water.
The court heard the distressed mongrel had been looking out of the window when an RSPCA inspector arrived but did not respond to the knock on the door. Prosecutor Alex Bousfield told the court Tyson was so underweight that "practically every single rib" could be seen.
Read more: Retired Bedlington miner who tried to have sex chats with children snared by vigilantes
He added: "Everything that ought to have been covered with flesh appears to be on display." Mr Bousefield said Tyson was "extremely emaciated" when rescued by the RSPCA and police from a house in Newcastle on August 7 2021 and added: "It drank all the water it was given, very quickly. It drank 1.2 litres of water and just wolfed the food down in seconds."
Gallagher, 32, of Gladstone Street, Lemington, Newcastle, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Tyson by failing to adequately explore the cause of the weight loss. He also admitted breach of duty to ensure the animal was provided with a suitably hygienic environment.
Gallagher told investigators he was the owner of the dog and said his partner had left that April. He admitted he had never taken the dog out and spent time at the home of his new partner.
He admitted the dog, which was part labrador, had gone from "bulky to looking like a whippet" but he did not take it to the vet to investigate the weight loss.
Judge Robert Adams said: "In a couple of days the dog would have died. The dog was effectively starving to death. It is thought it would not have survived much longer.
"The pictures are dreadful, the state of the premises is dreadful. It's just terrible. Any animal lover looking at those pictures would be appalled.
"He has abandoned a dog to meet its fate and in a couple of days the dog would have died."
Judge Adams said the animal's weight, at just over 20 kilos, was "as low as it could be without the dog being dead."
Gallagher, who works as a forklift truck driver, was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with rehabilitation requirements and £500 costs. He has been banned from owning an animal for five years.
The court heard Tyson, as well as a fish and parrot that were at the house, were signed over to the RSPCA and the dog has been rehomed.
Brian Mark, defending, told the court Gallagher has a history of mental health problems and added: "All this offending is entirely as a result of his mental health and the treatment of that mental health."
Mr Mark said Gallagher is now in a new relationship and is in employment.
Read next:
- Grandad joked of being 'done for baby snatching' during sex chat with 'child'
- Raging Gateshead thug left DJ with brain injury for kissing his former girlfriend's hand
- Byker drug dealer said she was selling cocaine in Newcastle city centre to buy new curtains
- Bedlington man set fire to girlfriend's clothes after falsely accusing her of being in porn video
- Gateshead murderer 'Billy the Bump' who went on to rape girl jailed for 27 years
