Pair banned from keeping dogs

INSPECTORS found these two dogs tethered outside the Roundthorn Road house

TWO Oldhamers who admitting leaving their two dogs outside with no food or shelter on a bitterly cold January day have been banned from keeping dogs for 18 months.

Denise Giblin (34) and Lee Burke (26) were also fined £1,000 each following their appearance at Oldham Magistrates Court.

Giblin, of Roundthorn Road, admitted that she left a female terrier cross-breed called Gizmo and a six month-old Staffordshire bull terrier cross-breed named Chan, tethered in her back garden on January 16.

She also admitted to underfeeding Chan, who RSPCA officers described as emaciated.

Burke, of Manor Road, Roundthorn, pleaded guilty to allowing the mistreatment to take place.

The court heard that when RSPCA officers visited Giblin’s address they found the house empty and the two dogs tethered on short leads in her back garden.

The shivering dogs were cowering on paving slabs and on top of a makeshift shelter to avoid the icy puddles which had covered the waterlogged garden. Chan was caked in faeces.

Mark Harper, prosecuting, said that a makeshift shelter in the garden contained just sodden bedding and a bowl of dirty water and the whole site was littered with faeces.

No food had been left for the dogs.

Mr Harper said: “Both dogs were found with swollen foot pads as if they had been standing in water for some time and Chan’s feet were so sore that he had to be carried to the RSPCA van.

Both dogs were underweight, with Chan’s ribs clearly visible.

Once in the care of the RSPCA the two dogs improved rapidly.

Defending, Ben Lawrence said the dogs had been left in those conditions for that day only, as Ms Giblin had to attend a university interview.

He said that Ms Giblin accepts that the conditions the dogs were left in that day were unsuitable.

He said that Burke was not aware that the dogs had been left out on that day, but that he was aware of the state of the kennel.