Severely obese dogs found 'living in filth' for years as man sentenced

A man has been sentenced after severely obese dogs were found “living in filth” having been neglected for years.

Michael Wheaton was banned from owning or keeping animals for ten years after being convicted of failing to adequately feed and seek veterinary treatment for his dogs.

He also kept them in a property soiled with faeces and urine.

Wheaton, of Girvan, appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court for charges relating to his care of a collie-type dog named Indie and a five-year-old Belgian Malinois named Bear.

He was also given a Community Payback Order of 90 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months.

A Scottish SPCA inspector attended Wheaton’s home in May 2024, after a call of concern for the welfare of the dogs was made to the Society’s Animal Helpline.

The Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “Upon entering the residence, it was immediately clear the property was unsuitable for any animal to be living in.

“There was dog urine and faeces in every room of the house. There were used sanitary products and various other hazardous items all over the floor, and the front door was being held closed with a cardboard box.

“The dogs did not have access to water or toileting opportunities as the rear garden was blocked by head-high piles of rubbish. It was heartbreaking to see the dogs had been living in such filth.”

When the Inspector found the dogs, she was “shocked” at their size. The inspector added: “They were massively overweight. Indie appeared to be uncomfortable when walking, as if she was in discomfort and pain.”

It was decided that it was in the best interest of all the dogs’ welfare for them to be immediately removed and taken into the care of the Scottish SPCA.

All three dogs were then taken to a nearby vet for further examination. Indie and Bear were found to be severely obese and were at least 10kg overweight.

Both were given a body score of 9 out of 9 – the optimum score for a healthy dog is four or five.

Due to being overweight, the dogs were suffering from significant mobility issues.

They showed signs of discomfort and appeared very stiff when walking. Indie was lame, and Bear’s back legs had lost a lot of muscle, suggesting he had hardly been getting any exercise.

It is estimated that Bear and Indie suffered years of neglect through overfeeding, along with a lack of exercise, for their body condition to be in the state that it was.

Indie also required treatment for a painful gum condition that had gone untreated for at least half a year.

The vet said: “Clinical signs such as difficulty eating, dropping food out of their mouth, reluctance to eat straight away or excessive drooling can all be apparent to an attentive owner.”

After examining pictures of the property, the vet added: “An owner is obliged to provide for their animal’s physical and mental well-being. In this environment, these animals were at risk of injury from inappropriate access to dangerous items such as food, which could harbour mould and plastic.

Reacting to the sentencing, the Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “We are pleased with the Sheriff’s decision and hope this sends a clear message across Scotland that animal neglect will not be tolerated.

“Anyone who decides to get a dog must make sure they can meet the animal’s needs throughout its entire life.”

The Scottish SPCA is calling for a National Animal Offenders Register to be built into existing intelligence systems to support monitoring of individuals convicted of animal cruelty – particularly those banned from owning animals – and flag offenders like Wheaton.

To report a concern of cruelty, visit the Scottish SPCA website.