An XL Bully was left to suffer "for a period of weeks" in a flat covered in "urine, faeces and decomposition" as its owner avoids jail.
Police found Cali, a female XL bully, lying dead on the floor of a "filthy" home in St Helens, Merseyside, in June last year.
Phillip Boyer was prosecuted by the RSPCA after the dog was found in a "very thin bodily condition" inside the flat with "smears of faeces all over the floor and up the walls".
Cali was also suffering from canine parvovirus - a highly contagious virus that can be fatal to dogs - which had not been treated.
An XL Bully was left to suffer 'for a period of weeks' in a flat covered in 'urine, faeces and decomposition' as its owner avoids jail
RSPCA
An RSPCA inspector who entered the property said it was covered in rubbish, dirt and broken glass with no food or water for the dog.
The 19-year-old owner was sentenced at Liverpool Magistrates Court last Tuesday where he was given a 17-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and banned from keeping all animals for five years.
During an interview Boyer said he was reliant on alcohol and drugs and struggled to buy food for himself and Cali.
The court heard that RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cooper had visited the property following a police request.
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Police found Cali, a female XL bully, lying dead on the floor of a "filthy" home in St Helens, Merseyside, in June last year
RSPCA
In written evidence she said: "Each room I looked in was filthy and littered with rubbish. In the lounge there was a really pungent overpowering smell of urine, faeces and decomposition. I could see what appeared to be smears of faeces all over the floor and up the walls.
"Over towards the television stand in the corner of the room I could see a dead white bull breed dog that looked to be in very thin bodily condition, with her ribs, hips and backbone prominent.
"Cali’s fur looked to be stained brown on her legs and back end. There was also what looked like a brown dried patch of diarrhoea on the floor underneath her rear end. There was a mop bucket nearby that looked thick, brown and dirty with faeces. The floor was littered with rubbish and hazards such as broken glass. I didn’t see any sign of food or water provided for Cali."
The inspector also found a shed where it is believed Cali was kept for sometimes hours at a time.
A vet from the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital also examined the dog and scored her body condition two out of nine and said her ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones were easily visible.
Cali was also suffering from canine parvovirus - a highly contagious virus that can be fatal to dogs - which had not been treated
RSPCA
"In her evidence to the court, the vet said: “Parvovirus can cause rapid deterioration and suffering if no veterinary intervention is provided.
"The duration of these failings will be a minimum of several days, the duration of the environmental failings is likely to be for a period of weeks looking at the evidence presented. Regardless of the cause of poor body condition and diarrhoea, the owner should have sought veterinary advice to relieve her suffering.
"Cali will have undoubtedly felt weakness and debilitation having a severe lack of energy, worsened by the haemorrhagic diarrhoea.
"This will have been uncomfortable and severely impacted her everyday life, ability to move, to obtain food or water and even to play."
Speaking after the case Inspector Cooper said: “Going into the property and finding Cali’s body, lying all alone surrounded by piles of rubbish, was an extremely sad and upsetting sight. She was badly let down by the person who should have been caring for her and suffered over a prolonged period because no veterinary assistance or any other sort of help had been sought."