A Manchester man who failed to get veterinary treatment for his dog has received a 10-year ban from owning canines. Frank Rogers, (D.o.B 1/12/1955), of Queens Road, Monsall, Manchester, pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The terrier cross, called Buster, was suffering with chronic skin disease, which had left him almost bald of fur, ingrown nails that were so bad he was unable to walk, and ear disease. When Rogers appeared before Manchester Magistrates' Court on November 20 to be sentenced, magistrates placed him on a 12-month community order, part of which will require the owner to complete 100 hours unpaid work. RSPCA animal rescue officer (ARO) Helen Chapman from the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital on Eccles New Road went to the defendant's home on April 14 this year after the charity received a report of a "bald dog" at the property. In a statement to the court, the officer said: "The dog was laying on its side on a chair, covered over with a blanket apart from his head and he made no attempt to move. I could see Buster was in very poor condition, with bald, dry pink skin. "The defendant said that when he had got the dog from a friend a year ago he was okay. He said he had only just lost his hair and he got something from an online company." Rogers agreed to let the animal rescue officer take Buster to the RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital. But sadly, the dog was in such poor health that in a vet's expert opinion the kindest course of action to end his suffering was to put him to sleep. The vet who examined the dog found he was suffering from infections in both ear canals, overgrown nails and alopecia which had caused extensive irritation. Buster was also underweight with a low body condition score of two out of nine. The vet stated that in her expert opinion, given the severity of Buster's condition, he would have been suffering for many weeks and likely longer. "His overgrown nails will have been a source of pain. Secondary changes such as lichenification of the skin and stenosis of the ears indicated the skin and ear disease was chronic in nature. The ear infections too will have caused discomfort and would have made it difficult for him to settle. He was shaking his head and getting no relief," said the vet. Rogers was also told to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £114.
