A man who ran his dog until it collapsed with exhaustion during a summer heatwave has been banned from owning a dog for the next 10 years.
Jason McKay tethered Max the husky to his bike before cycling away, forcing the dog to run alongside him.
However, shortly into their journey Max began to struggle with the heat and keeled over on the B9170 road in Aberdeenshire near to Hoodles PlayBarn and Coffee Shop.
The 27-year-old then attempted to pull the animal along the ground to get him home, before discovering all his paws were cut and bleeding.
McKay, who suffers from autism, dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) , previously admitted causing his pet unnecessary suffering on July 22 when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court earlier this year.
Sentence was deferred until this morning for the preparation of background reports and for a medical to be carried out, given his various conditions, to prove his McKay could be fit to take care of animals in the future.
However Sheriff William Taylor told McKay that his behaviour was “disgraceful” and said he should be “thoroughly ashamed of himself”.
McKay was ordered to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work in the community within six months and banned from owning dogs for a decade.
The sheriff added that the punishment imposed was “in no way” at the top end of the spectrum.