A serial animal hoarder has been found with dogs in a neglected condition. The two dogs were both in appalling conditions, one had an untreated ear infection and looked unkempt. The other's fur was matted to the point that the poor dog couldn't move without feeling pain.
The culprit is Ronald Ward, a middle-aged man in his 50's. He pleaded guilty to charges of ill-treating animals. This was not the first time, he had previously been convicted with his brother for keeping up to 227 animals in substandard conditions. They kept these animals on two properties they own.
How Heidi and Wags Were Found
This latest offence was discovered by an SPCA inspector who visited the ward's property in late 2019. He first saw wags, one of the dogs with growth in her ears and signs of disease and infection. Ronald's wife said they hadn't taken the dog to the vet in more than 24 months, even though the growth has been there for almost six months now.
The other dog, Heidi, a female white shih tzu was also found. Heidi's hair was mashed together and badly unkempt, looking at her it was difficult to identify her feet. She oozed of a foul smell and there were discharges coming out of her eyes.
She was taken to a vet for a check-up and to identify other underlying conditions. She was barely fed and was underweight, the old discharge from her eyes formed a crust that scarred her cornea and rendered her blind. Her toe nails were so lengthy that they digged into the pads on her feet. She also had a tumor in her mammary glands and suffered constipation. There were faeces rubbed all over her abdomen, she also had fleas.
ALSO READ - Here is How Dogs Contribute To The Society
The Vets Analysis
The vet discovered that heidi was in a great deal of pain, her coat was scrapped and she was given pain relief medication. A second vet pronounced Heidi severely underweight. They mentioned that her infected eye must have caused her a great deal of pain. It would have been spotted easily if her caregivers were attentive. She was reluctant to move, probably due to her matted fur.
As for Wags, the first dog, her ears were in bad shape and just like Heidi, she had been in pain for a long time. She too had fleas. Ward told the inspector that he was aware that Heidi had issues and that he was planning on cleaning her up and taking care of the situation.
He also mentioned he was thinking of "putting her down". When asked of Wags, his answer was similar, he said he knew of her ear condition and was treating it. He admitted he knew she was in a bit of pain because of the ear. He also agreed he was their owner and primary caregiver.
Wags Conviction
On Friday in the Palmerston North District Court, Ward was convicted and the judge, judge Jonathan Krebs ordered a pre-sentence report before March when he would be sentenced. He pleaded not-guilty originally, the charges against his wife were dropped. After his conviction back in 2015, he was banned for seven years from owning any animals.
The conviction however allowed him to keep two domestic animals. The neglected animals both he and his brothers owned included kittens, donkeys, emus, caged pheasants and pigs. For this upcoming sentencing, the SPCA is agitating for a ban for at least seven years.
RELATED ARTICLE - Dogs are More Than Just Pets - Here's the Proof
For more news, updates about dogs and similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
© 2024 NatureWorldNews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
