Cruel couple went on holiday leaving dog without water for a week (From Warrington Guardian)

Sankey Bridges couple went on holiday leaving dog without water for a week

9:00am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News

A COUPLE who left their pet dog without water for a week have been banned from keeping animals for three years.

Karen Carberry, aged 28, and John Greenwood, aged 37, went on holiday to Turkey, leaving white poodle Dexter trapped in the garden of their home in Snowberry Crescent, Sankey Bridges.

Warrington Magistrates’ heard last Wednesday how RSPCA inspectors found Dexter on April 5 this year after receiving reports of an abandoned dog.

He was covered in his own urine and excrement, with fur badly tangled and matted.

The only bedding available was a dirty jumper, and only a few dog biscuits had been left for food.

When given a bowl of water two-year-old Dexter drank it within seconds, the court heard.

RSPCA Inspector Katy Glen removed him from the property.

A veterinary nurse who later examined Dexter said the matting would have taken months and was the worst she had seen in 14 years of practice.

His coat had to be completely shaven.

Carberry and Greenwood, who have split up since the incident, were not represented during proceedings.

When taking the stand warehouse supervisor Greenwood, who now lives in Thorneycroft Drive, Howley, said: “It was a misunderstanding who was looking after him.

“That’s my fault really.

“With the grooming I was going to get him done but couldn’t because of work commitments.”

Carberry, who works as a warehouse manager in St Helens, said: “When we first got Dexter as a puppy he was a family pet.

“We had him in the house but he had behavioural problems and we couldn’t control him.

“We thought we could deal with it and couldn’t and things just ended up like that.”

She added that they had not tried to re-home the dog.

Both defendants pleaded guilty to failing to provide an animal with drinking water and a suitable environment, failing to protect an animal from pain and suffering and failing to provide adequate levels of care.

In addition to the ban, Carberry and Greenwood were sentenced to 200 hours’ unpaid work and to pay costs of £1,165.

• FOLLOWING the court case, Anthony Joynes, RSPCA inspector, said: “This dog was clearly very distressed and I was appalled by the conditions he was living in.

“There were weeks and weeks of faeces, a completely inadequate shelter and no water.

“The fur had become so matted that I could hardly make out Dexter’s eyes or even what sex he was.

“When offered water he drank and drank and was clearly very thirsty.

“The RSPCA takes a zero tolerance approach to animal cruelty.

“Anybody found neglecting or cruelly ill treating an animal can expect to be brought before magistrates and prosecuted.

“It's really important that people think clearly before taking on a pet as it is a huge responsibility with many animals having complex needs beyond a bowl of food and water. 

"People must realise that it is a criminal offence not to meet that pet’s needs.”