Green Valley: Man convicted of animal cruelty towards maltese terrier
A man has been banned from owning animals after his dog was found with a maggot-infested wound. And what was truly shocking was the method he used to try and treat the pet. WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES.
Liverpool
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A man has been banned from buying, acquiring or owning animals for five years after being sentenced over animal cruelty towards his pet dog after it was founded with a maggot-infested wound.
Fabio Messineo, 56, was convicted of aggravated cruelty towards his dog, a white maltese terrier crossbreed, last month at Liverpool Local Court.
RSPCA inspectors attended a Green Valley home on December 18, 2018, where they found a severely emaciated dog.
The dog was immobile and had a large wound on his back covered in flies and pus.
The man and his mother told inspectors they had treated the wound, which had been there for a couple of weeks, with Voltaren anti-inflammatory cream and the dog had not been seen by a vet.
The pair agreed to surrender the dog and he was taken to RSPCA Sydney Veterinary Hospital, where he was given intravenous methadone to relieve his severe pain.
An initial assessment by a vet found the dog was weak and unable to stand for more than a few seconds.
His wound was discharging pus and had live maggots.
Most of his teeth were missing, his coat was soaked with bloody diarrhoea near the tail, and blood tests showed symptoms resulting from sepsis.
The vet concluded the dog was “so sick and disabled it was too cruel to keep him alive”, an RSPCA statement said. He was subsequently euthanised.
The man was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order and fined $1000, with money awarded to RSPCA NSW.
He was banned from purchasing, acquiring or taking possession or custody of any animal for five years and ordered to attend Liverpool Police Station for fingerprinting.
RSPCA NSW deputy chief inspector Aaron Purcell said pet owners must seek appropriate veterinary treatment for animals that are sick, wounded and unwell.
“There is no excuse for allowing the health and wellbeing of an animal in your care to deteriorate to such a poor state.”