A distraught north-east “dog lover” said he feels “slapped in the face” after a sheriff banned him from owning the animals for a decade.
David Munro, of Nigg, was yesterday disqualified from owning animals for tens years at Aberdeen Sheriff Court after he admitted not meeting the needs of his pack of dogs.
Sentencing the 37-year-old, Sheriff Margaret Hodges said “animals should be protected” from him.
Munro ended up with 11 dogs to cater for between August and October last year after his bitch, Sasha, and male dog, Scrappy, bred.
Whilst on holiday, with a friend looking after the dogs, one pup was taken to a vets with a skin disease, prompting a Scottish SPCA investigation.
He had previously admitted exposing the dogs to ammonia, causing them eye irritation, allowing them to live around faeces and urine and not providing proper ventilation.
Munro also did not provide a comfortable resting space for the dogs, “isolating” a number of them and not providing “appropriate exercise” for the animals.
The charge also adds this restricted the canines from exhibiting “normal behaviour”.
Sheriff Hodge said it “does appear animals suffered in your care”, adding “I see you can’t acknowledge this and from the report consider yourself to be a victim”.
She added that Munro “cannot be trusted with the care of animals” and does not “have the capability to look after them properly”.
However solicitor John Hardie said the report into the circumstances was “very frugal”.
He added: “He (Mr Munro) believed he was taking appropriate steps in terms of the medical issues the dog has”.
Mr Hardie said his client was suffering from a depressive illness and the arrival of the litter added to his “difficulties”.
However speaking following the sentencing yesterday, Mr Munro insisted he had done his best to treat the afflicted pup at his vets after one came down with a skin disease.
His not-guilty plea for this charge was accepted by the Crown.
He said he felt “slapped in the face” and that the animals were only separated to stop the spread of the skin disease.
Munro said the ten year disqualification was “ridiculous” and that the dogs and their pups had brought a lot of joy to his family – including his three children.
He added: “They were all friendly, all healthy. I’d done everything I could and spent six weeks taking these puppies to the vets.”
Munro said he had grown up with dogs, having saved some from rescue centres in years gone by, and refuted the accusation he could not care properly for the animals.
He had hoped to keep dogs Sasha, Murphy, Shadow, Snoop and Scrappy in his care, however they will remain looked after by the Scottish SPCA.
One of the pups is now in the care of one of his daughters.
Last night Munro said that there had been “nothing that was going to hurt them” in his home.
He added: “Fair enough, I’d understand if I hadn’t gone to the vets, if I hadn’t given any sympathy to the pups, fair enough, I’d understand.
“But the fact I went and spent about £700-£800 on vet bills, it is ridiculous. I’d understand a year’s ban.
“I have grown up with dogs since I was born. They (the Scottish SPCA) have took every single bit of the truth and just multiplied it as far as possible.”
No one was available to comment from the Scottish SPCA.
