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Man jailed for failing to take injured dog to vet after wild mammal attack

A Patterdale terrier known as Thugly who was attacked by a wild mammal <i>(Image: RSPCA)</i>
A Patterdale terrier known as Thugly who was attacked by a wild mammal (Image: RSPCA)

A Lancaster man has been jailed for causing unnecessary suffering to a Patterdale terrier.

He was also found to have breached a lifelong ban on owning animals when the dog and ferrets were found at his property.

Joseph Shaun Whittam of Greenset Close, Lancaster, has been sent to prison for 23 weeks after appearing at Blackburn Magistrates' Court on Friday January 20.

He was previously due to stand trial for the offences but changed his pleas to guilty on the first day of the trial.

The 32-year-old was jailed for causing unnecessary suffering to a brown Patterdale terrier known as Thugly.

Lancashire Telegraph: Injuries on a Patterdale terrier known as Thugly who was attacked by a wild mammal.
Lancashire Telegraph: Injuries on a Patterdale terrier known as Thugly who was attacked by a wild mammal.

Injuries on a Patterdale terrier known as Thugly who was attacked by a wild mammal. (Image: RSPCA)

He failed to provide veterinary treatment for injuries after it was attacked by a wild mammal.

The court also found that he did not take steps to ensure that Thugly’s needs were met in that he let him engage in an encounter with a wild mammal, leading to him becoming injured.

He also was in breach of a disqualification order which banned him for keeping animals for life by keeping four ferrets and the dog.

Lancashire Telegraph: Joseph Shaun Whittam was found to be keeping ferrets despite lifelong ban on keeping animals
Lancashire Telegraph: Joseph Shaun Whittam was found to be keeping ferrets despite lifelong ban on keeping animals

Joseph Shaun Whittam was found to be keeping ferrets despite lifelong ban on keeping animals (Image: RSPCA)

Officers from the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit joined officers from Lancashire Police when they executed a warrant at an address in Lancaster on April 1 2021, due to a suspected breach of a disqualification order.

Whittam was disqualified from keeping all animals for life by magistrates in December 2018. When officers visited the property and discovered three dogs and four ferrets.

Lancashire Telegraph: Injuries on a Patterdale terrier known as Thugly who was attacked by a wild mammal.
Lancashire Telegraph: Injuries on a Patterdale terrier known as Thugly who was attacked by a wild mammal.

Injuries on a Patterdale terrier known as Thugly who was attacked by a wild mammal. (Image: RSPCA)

In his witness statement, RSPCA inspector Jason Bowles said: “In the yard there were three hutches and two of those hutches were contained in a brick-built shelter and were positioned one on top of the other.

“In the top hutch, there were three adult ferrets that looked to be in normal body condition.

“Adjacent to the house by the back door there was a hutch on its own with a single adult ferret inside that looked to be in normal body condition.

"I was informed by a police officer that this ferret had just been transferred to this hutch at the start of the warrant being executed as it was loose.”

A woman at the address claimed to own three dogs that were found at the home while Whittam admitted owning the ferrets. He was told to rehome them immediately.

After gathering evidence, Whittam was summoned with offences relating to breaching his ban in connection with the ferrets and for keeping a dog.

At sentencing Whittam was handed four custodial sentences for the four offences that will all run concurrently.

He was sentenced to 23 weeks of custody for two offences in regards to Thugly and sentenced to 18 weeks of custody for each of the breaches of disqualification order that will also run concurrently.