A puppy discovered with severe burns on its face, mouth and tongue had been doused with boiling water, a court heard.

Seven-month-old Capri was first taken to a vets in Chatham with a swelling to her head which was believed to be caused by trauma.

A few weeks later, on December 12, the pug was taken to the vets again, this time with burns and injuries to her face, mouth and tongue.

She was reported to the RSPCA on December 14.

The vet said in a witness statement: “Capri presented with massive burns over her face and neck. Her tongue was swollen to three times its size and sloughing.

“The substance she had been burned with also affected her left eye.”

RSPCA Inspector Kirsten Ormerod launched an investigation.

In her court statement, she said Capri’s owner has claimed to have left her in the care of her flatmate Thabiso Giyo, between 2.30pm and 6.30pm while she went out shopping.

She added: “She stated that on her return at 6.30pm Capri had a sore face.

“She stated Giyo had wiped Capri’s face with an exfoliating glove but quite quickly Capri’s face started to swell and she was struggling to breathe so she took Capri to the emergency vet.”

She told Inspector Ormerod she’d reported the incident to the police and had asked Giyo to leave the property but gave her a contact number for him.

The vet’s witness statement added: “Nobody was willing to tell us what substance Capri had been burned with - the flatmate said he gave her a bath and used an exfoliating glove on her which didn't add up to the severity of the injuries she presented with.

Speaking about Capri’s first stint in hospital, the vet said: “She was really calm and relaxed around females but shrank away and trembled in the presence of a male vet.

“She was absolutely terrified of males in hospital to the point where only females could handle her without stressing her out.”

When a feeding tube was fitted to help the puppy, it was later suggested that the burns had been caused by boiling water.

X-rays also showed that she had a fracture on her right leg and had healed pelvic fractures from older injuries.

Capri was treated every six hours with creams, eye drops, had her wounds cleaned and has now made a full recovery.

The pug has been adopted by one of the vet nurses who first treated her injuries and is “now living her best life”.
Thabiso Luzuko Giyo of High Street, Chatham appeared at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on May, 1 where he pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act.

Giyo told the court that Capri’s injuries had been an accident and denied that she had been intentionally or deliberately harmed.

He has been sentenced to 22 weeks in prison, suspended for two years and has been ordered to pay £800 in costs.

A £154 victim surcharge must also be paid and he is disqualified from keeping any animals for three years.