Glasgow couple who 'underfed and neglected' dogs for months handed ban

A couple have been handed a ban on owning or keeping animals after they were found to have underfed and neglected two dogs.

Chantelle Margaret Angela Crossan, 24, and Liam McLachlan, 23, from Glasgow pled guilty to failing to provide two dogs in their care with appropriate pain relief and treatment for emaciated and underweight body conditions on May 10.

The couple’s three-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, named Kenzo, and five-month-old Cane Corso cross, called Tyson, had been “underfed and neglected” for at least three months when they were rescued.

The Scottish SPCA received a complaint on January 30 last year of concern for two dogs at the Carmyle Avenue address.

The complainant said that they had heard noises coming from the property which sounded like the dogs were fighting.

Scottish SPCA officers had previously received another complaint on January 21, 2022, saying that the dogs were underweight.

“An appointment was made to visit the address to view the dogs on January 24, 2022, but the owner then cancelled the visit, and asked to rearrange it for the following week,” said the charity’s chief inspector McIntyre.

“On January 30, we were met at the door by a woman who identified herself as Chantelle Crossan.

“Inside the property were two dogs: a white and tan coloured female Staffordshire bull terrier dog called Kenzo, and a dark brindle-coloured male Cane Corso dog called Tyson.”

Inspectors saw “straight away” that the pups were both in poor condition – Kenzo was underweight, with her hips and spine visible.

Tyson was emaciated, with all his ribs visible alongside his hip bones and spine looking “very prominent” under his fur.

His skin also appeared to be in poor condition and was dry and flaky, with some hair loss around his legs and face.

Chief inspector McIntyre continued: “We asked for some further details regarding the dogs, including their ages, and whether they were under any veterinary treatment.

“They stated that Kenzo was approximately three years old and that Tyson was approximately five months old. It was stated that neither dog was under veterinary treatment.

“It was advised that the dogs were in need of immediate veterinary attention and that we would be removing the dogs due to concerns for their welfare.”

At the vet’s, it was confirmed that Kenzo was very underweight and no injuries or underlying conditions were evident.

Tyson was emaciated, with very little muscle on his legs and thin, taught skin over his groin caused by malnutrition.

“He had hair loss on both thighs which was attributed to his malnutrition. He had mild redness in his right ear and one of his testicles was not fully developed,” chief inspector McIntyre added.

“Due to the absence of any injuries or obvious underlying conditions, the vet’s opinion was that this low body condition was due to chronic underfeeding and negligence. The dogs further had their welfare compromised by the failure to seek veterinary treatment to find out if there was an underlying reason for their poor condition.

“The vet estimated it would have taken a period of at least three months for the dogs to come to be in this condition.

“This has been exacerbated in the case of Tyson as he was such a young puppy and would have needed extra nutrition to maintain condition and to develop appropriately. The long term effects of malnutrition at this stage may still impact him in the future.”

At Glasgow Sheriff Court on June 7, Crossan received 80 hours of community service and a ban of six years from owning or keeping any animal.

McLachlan received 120 hours of community service and a ban of six years from owning or keeping any animal.

“We are pleased that both Crossan and McLachlan have been banned from owning or keeping animals but, given the level of neglect, we would have liked it to be for a longer period of time,” McIntyre concluded.

“If anyone is concerned about the welfare of an animal they can call our confidential helpline on 03000 999 999.”