Man from Aberdare sentenced after "dog suffered enormously as a result of severe wounds.” 

A man from Aberdare has been sentenced after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering after failing to treat his dog's 'extensive' and 'severe' injuries.

Ryan Warner, 29, was handed a suspended prison sentence at Merthyr Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to one offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a black and white male Patterdale type terrier called Grafter.

The dog was seen by a RSPCA inspector who said that the terrier had "scars all over his head, muzzle, neck and ears."

Warner of Alexandra Terrace, Cwmaman, Aberdare, was sentenced to 12 months of custody suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, ordered to pay costs of £2,065 and was banned from keeping dogs for five years.

The court heard that he failed to provide proper and necessary veterinary care and attention for Grafter’s serious injuries.

RSPCA inspector, Gemma Cooper, told the court how she realised the extent of the injuries when she attended Warner's address on 7 March of this year.

She said: “His right ear had a large, healed tear and his left ear had a large, recent tear as there was dried blood on the inside.

"The bite type wounds all over his head and muzzle, some appeared to be older and healed and others seemed to be newer and scabbed over.  

“A large proportion of the skin from the lower jaw was hanging away from the bone, revealing the flesh part of the jaw. The flesh looked red and sore and it smelt really bad, like infection.  

“There were bits of dirt and grass sticking to this bit of open flesh and Grafter appeared really uncomfortable when I touched around the area in order to get a better look.

"He appeared uncomfortable by repetitively moving his head away from me when I tried to look at the injury. I asked Ryan Warner if the dog had seen a vet and he said that he hadn’t.”

Warner told the RSPCA inspector that he had only just bought Grafter the previous evening from an advert and that he had the injuries when he bought him. But Warner was unable to provide her with the seller’s details.

The case was heard at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court on 31 August and then referred to Merthyr Crown Court on Friday 7 October.

The court also heard from a vet who examined Grafter on 7 March, that the Patterdale terrier “had suffered enormously and unnecessarily as a result of his extensive and severe wounds.” 

The vet said the worst of the injuries was an "extensive degloving injury" of the flesh of the lower jaw. She said: “A degloving is a type of traumatic injury where a large portion of skin and tissue is detached from the underlying muscle or bone and is extremely painful.”

Grafter was taken to the vets, hospitalised and given painkillers and antibiotics. The terrier was later given surgery to try and salvage the wounds on his face, however, he will carry a permanent disfigurement. 

Grafter has since recovered from his injuries and been successfully rehomed.