Cruel Barnstaple dog owner explains why he let his dog starve to death
One dog was found starved to death and another barely clinging to life after being cruelly treated by their owner, a court heard. Ross Parkhouse, 35, of Willshere Road, Barnstaple, allowed the animals, Duke and Blue, to suffer over a prolonged period.
The case was so horrific that the chair of the magistrates' bench was visibly upset while passing sentence. Parkhouse was jailed for 18 weeks and disqualified from keeping animals for life, after admitting animal cruelty, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
The court was told that concerns were raised about the dogs, both American bulldog-type breeds, in his home. Blue was found alive but starved with his bones visible at the time of his rescue. He was found to be passing non-food objects in his faeces, having not been able to find food in the property, said the RSPCA.
READ MORE: Anger as blood-hungry hounds 'run amok' on farm land
READ MORE: Greedy Torquay carer stole £20,000 from mum's elderly friend
A second dog named Duke was found dead in emaciated bodily condition. Post-mortem findings showed he had been subjected to a prior period of starvation that eventually resulted in his death.
In their report, the vet said: “The needs of these dogs had not been met to the extent required by good practice due to the person responsible for the welfare of these animals failing to provide a suitable diet. They were caused to suffer as a consequence of not being provided with a suitable level of nutrition for a prolonged period.”
In mitigation, Parkhouse said his drug addiction had taken over and he was sorry harm had come to the dogs when he appeared for sentencing at Barnstaple Magistrates' Court on January 14. In sentencing, the chair of the bench described the hearing as “one most distressing and horrific cases this bench has ever heard”.
They said Parkhouse watched the dogs starve and subjected them to terrible, prolonged suffering. There was a failure to seek help from other agencies and evidence of dogs eating wood and leather, having failed to find food in the house. Blue has now fully recovered after gaining weight when fed an appropriate diet while being cared for by the RSPCA.