14 DAY TRIAL // 37-year-old Rachael Pugsley and husband Richard from Dartford, Kent have been fined over ₤1,000 (€1,167 / $1,605) and ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service after being found guilty of mistreating their pet cocker spaniel, Paddy.
Come to think of is, “mistreating” is too gentle a word for what these people did. Apparently, the two starved Paddy until the latter got so hungry that he tried to eat an umbrella.
Luckily, they were “courteous” enough to rush him to a veterinary clinic after realizing what had happened, Daily Mail informs.
However, once they heard that the surgery to remove the umbrella bits and pieces from the dog's belly would cost them a hefty sum of money, they abandoned Paddy and disappeared into thin air.
“The dog was seen by the nurse and the account given was that the dog had eaten part of an umbrella two days previously. It was determined that an operation would be necessary.”
“The dog was emaciated and dehydrated and Mrs Pugsley was told treatment could be between £400 (€467 / $642) and £1,000 (€1,167 / $1,605). She signed a consent form and she then left the dog at the surgery saying she needed to speak to her husband and would return in 10 minutes. She didn’t do that,” prosecuting attorney Andrew Wiles said.
The RSPCA managed to locate them, and charged them with animal cruelty. As already mentioned, they were fined and ordered to carry out community service. The sentence was passed this October 17.
When he was rescued, Paddy weighed only 9 kilograms (almost 20 pounds). Since then, he has been adopted by a new family, and is now enjoying the perks of living in a loving home, hopefully with lots of food available.