A pedigree puppy not cared for by his owner ended up looking like a hyena.
The German Shepherd – called Simba – had a painful skin condition.
Paul Crooke didn’t look after him properly and his fur fell out.
He ended up resembling a hyena – renowned for their laughter-like sound.
He said his sister had bought the 10-month-old pup for £900
Crooke was given a four-and-a-half-month jail term suspected for a year-and-a-half.
The 61-year-old, of Axminster Close, Hull has been banned from keeping animals for life.
Hull magistrates court heard from a vet who was left stunned by Simba’s condition.
She said: “It was actually a little challenging to be able to tell this dog was supposed to be a pedigree German Shepherd.
“The dog was missing so much fur, and had such sore, infected skin, that it would not have looked entirely out of place if presented as a hyena in a zoo.”
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Mollie Masters said: “Simba had severe fur loss, one of the worst cases I’d seen.
He did not resemble a German Shepherd and it was difficult to determine his breed.”
Crooke admitted causing Simba unnecessary suffering, as reported on Need To Know
In mitigation, he said he hadn’t set out to harm Simba and he was his first dog.
He was also coming to terms with the loss of his partner.
He was also ordered to pay £400 costs.
Simba made a good recovery after being rescued by the RSPCA.
But it was later found he had a pelvic problem and had to be put down.
After the case, RSPCA Inspector Dan Richardson said: “It’s a shame because Simba was such a lovely, bouncy dog, and, as the vet said, these untreated medical issues had caused him to suffer.
“We hear a lot about people being worried about taking their pets to the vets, with the cost of living on the rise.
“That may be true, but when animals are sick they must get the right treatment.
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