A carpenter has been banned from keeping animals for five years after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to his pet dog.

Bradley Fossett, 23, was sentenced today by magistrates after an RSPCA inspector and police called at his home earlier this year and found his dog, Henry, severely emaciated.

Fossett of Lavender Walk, East Malling, told Andrew Kirby the RSPCA inspector he had tried to feed Henry, a lurcher-staff cross, but every time he gave him some food the dog would be sick.

Because of his poor health Insp Kirby asked if Fossett would hand over the dog to his care immediately and Fossett agreed.

Fossett, previously pleading guilty to failure to provide his dog with enough food and another charge of failing to get him the required veterinary treatment in respect of an ear complaint.

This week the court heard from Clare Webb, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, who told magistrates the dog weighed just 6kg when it was taken to the vet for treatment.

Miss Webb said: "When the inspector found the dog he was severely emaciated.

"He we staggering about and falling over clothes which were on the floor there was dog faeces all over the clothes.

Although there was water in a bowl for the dog there was only what looked like chocolate powder in another bowl."

The court also heard that as soon as Henry, who is also deaf, was given food he perked up immediately and has continued to do well, despite not being re-homed yet.

Within two weeks of being give regular meals his weight doubled to 12kg.
He now weighs 17kg and his ear complaint has also healed up, Mr Kirby described the emaciation as the worst he had ever seen and added that Henry was never sick when he was fed in their care.

Fossett was not only banned from keeping animals for five years, he was also ordered to pay all costs incurred by the RSPCA to get Henry back to health.
He was also ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £4,456.37, at a rate of £250 per month.

Chair of the bench, Paul Amans, said: “You caused unnecessary suffering to the dog.

“We ban you from keeping animals for five years."