Dog ‘eaten alive by fleas’ after owner neglected him for months

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The owner of a neglected canine who was “eaten alive by fleas” has been banned from holding pets.

Darren Hughes, 48, had left his Chewie, a Shih Tzu, deserted and struggling for a number of months at his house in Islington, Highbury Corner Magistrates Court heard.

A member of the general public discovered Chewie collapsed and took him to the vet, the place he was identified with a heavy flea burden and iron deficiency.

The vet was compelled to place Chewie to sleep to finish his struggling, the RSPCA stated.

Mr Huges was sentenced at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on 12 February after being convicted of inflicting pointless struggling to an animal.

He was banned indefinitely from holding all animals and was sentenced to 18 weeks in custody, suspended for 18 months. He was additionally fined a sufferer surcharge of £154.

The 48-year-old additionally had a cat faraway from the property, who will now be rehomed.

In mitigation, he stated an alcohol habit resulted in failing to offer Chewie with veterinary remedy, thereby inflicting pointless struggling.

In proof, the vet wrote: “Chewie was suffering for an extended length of time, as the initial mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was very low, and with chronic anaemia and ongoing blood loss, one or more months are required before the MCV and MCHC decrease below reference intervals.

“This patient’s mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) wasn’t even registered by our laboratory, which is likely to mean red blood cells do not have enough haemoglobin. It also shows thrombocytosis (increased platelets), which is often present in animals with iron deficiency anaemia.

“The biochemistry blood test results show that he had low creatine, which was likely related to muscle loss, and increased urea, which is likely related to dehydration. He was diagnosed with severe anaemia due to his infestation with fleas.”

After sentencing, Inspector Shahnaz Ahmad stated: “This was a distressing case, poor Chewie had been left on his own for large periods of time while he was riddled with fleas, they were literally eating him alive.

“It’s thanks to a member of the public alerting us to the condition of this dog that he was punished for his actions. Sadly it was too late to save Chewie, but it does mean this individual will never be able to neglect pets in this way again.”