By Hannah Wilcox For Daily Mail Australia
14:05 17 Jun 2023, updated 14:05 17 Jun 2023
- Perth man fined $7,500 by RSPCA on Thursday
- 38-year-old faced Armadale Magistrates Court
- 10-week-old puppy found in ‘squalid conditions’
A man has been fined after a 10-week-old French bulldog puppy was found living in ‘squalid’ conditions with no access to food or water.
The 38-year-old was found guilty of keeping the dog in ‘squalid and potentially dangerous conditions’ and fined $7,500 in Armadale Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Lilly, the French bulldog, was found locked in a bedroom with no food and water and surrounded by cannabis, faeces, rubbish and other harmful objects.
Police found the puppy withdrawn and whimpering with an extremely enlarged stomach, prompting concerns she may have ingested the drugs.
She was rescued from the home by officers who handed her to the RSCPA in May 2022 to receive treatment for several health concerns.
Staff at the Animal Care Centre in Malaga discovered Lilly was suffering from intestinal infection giardia, an illness caused by a parasite in the bowel.
The man, from Maddington about 20km southeast of Perth, had reportedly been gifted the dog just a few days before a report was made to police.
RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said such ‘blatant disregard’ for a puppy’s health and wellbeing was ‘hard to comprehend’.
‘This home was a dangerous environment for any pet but especially such a young puppy,’ she said.
‘The floor was littered with dog faeces and other harmful items, such as cigarette butts and alcohol.’
Lilly has made a full recovery and remains in foster care. She will be ready for a new home pending a 28-day appeal period.
Her previous owner has been banned from having pets for five years and was ordered to pay $655.30 in court fees and care costs to the RSPCA.