A man whose dog had to be put down after he failed to get a wound on its leg treated has been banned from keeping animals for ten years.

Adrian Ashworth, 40, received a six month supervision order after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a Staffordshire bull terrier and failing to meet the animal’s needs when he appeared before the city’s magistrates yesterday.

The court heard the dog was seized by police in January after officers were called to a disturbance at Ashworth’s house in Linden Avenue, Thornbury.

Nigel Monaghan, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said the dog was seen limping with its right leg raised and was clearly in a lot of pain.

Ashworth said he had intended to take the dog to see a vet that day and had been unable to afford treatment, the court was told.

A vet who examined the dog found its right paw to be swollen and cold to touch.

The animal, which had been suffering from an infection for several days, was reluctant to move and the vet decided it would be unable to survive an operation, the court heard.

Mr Monaghan said: “The RSPCA does view this as a serious case in view of the suffering the animal would have had to endure before it was euthanized by the vet.”

Ashworth was arrested two weeks later after officers forced their way into his home, the court was told.

Solicitor Mohammed Alias, mitigating for Ashworth, said his client had experienced problems with his neighbours for several months and had gone away for fear of being assaulted, leaving the dog in the care of a friend when it became ill.

Ashworth also remained distressed over the murder of his grandfather by a neighbour in the 1970s, the court heard. Mr Alias said: “He was a victim of circumstances but really he does realise he should have done more to care for this animal.”

Bench chairman Robert Thornton also ordered Ashworth to pay £100 towards the cost of the case and said he would be unable to apply for the length of the animal ban to be altered for five years.

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