‘Emaciated’ and suffering dog put down after Boldon Colliery owner failed to take him to vet

Sabre the German Shepherd had large patches of fur missing, eye and ear infections and his bones ‘stuck out’, a court heard.

Susan Evans, 47, claimed the vet was too far away for her to get the rescue dog’s ailments seen to – but prosecutors revealed she lived just 10 minutes’ walk away from one.

Evans, of Morris Crescent, pleaded guilty to two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal between February and April this year.

Harrowing images shown to magistrates at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court showed an underweight and suffering Sabre after he had been removed from Evans’ home.

RSPCA prosecutor Stewart Haywood said: “On April 15, an RSPCA investigator received an anonymous call to say that a dog in her care was underweight, had hair loss and was riddled with fleas.”

Inspectors attended Evans’ home and found Sabre there, and took him to a vet.

“It was immediately obvious that Sabre was suffering and in a very poor condition.

“His bones were described as being stuck out.

“There was a crusty discharge to large areas of the skin around the eyes which was red and inflamed.

“There were hairless areas of skin on the body and elbows.”

The vet who assessed him noted that Sabre was ‘emaciated’ and his ailments would have been ‘very painful’, the court heard.

The dog also suffered with osteoporosis, which would have been painful for up to a year, as well as inflamed bowel disorder.

The decision was taken by the vet that Sabre should be euthanised for his own quality of life, the RSPCA prosecutor told the court.

He added: “The defendant simply failed to take Sabre to a vet to get these various conditions looked at and treated.”

Sobbing in court, Evans said: “Unfortunately I have got agoraphobia, anxiety, panic attacks. I couldn’t get out. I am sorry I let Sabre down.”

The case was adjourned until September 2 for a pre-sentence report.