Sad story - happy ending

"Animal welfare officers say they are bitterly disappointed with the sentence handed down to a Dundee man who admitted starving his dog and then abandoning it.

James Burns was today fined £200 and banned from keeping pets for five years following what has been described as one of the worst cases of cruelty that staff had ever dealt with.

Starved to the point of emaciation, German Shepherd Willow weighed just 11 kilograms; less than half what she should have.

Too weak to stand and with her ribs protruding from her body vets feared the three-year-old may die.

That was two months ago. Now Willow is full of beans and plays without a care in the world.

She has been recovering at the Scottish SPCA centre at Peterden since being found abandoned in Dundee's Raglan Street in February.

Her former owner, 30-year-old James Burns, appeared at the city's Sheriff Court for sentencing but was reluctant to meet the waiting media.

He had admitted causing Willow "unnecessary suffering" by failing to feed her. Animal welfare workers are disgusted with the punishment he has received.

Sharon Comrie, of Scottish SPCA, said: "I'm very disappointed and so are the staff at the
Willow is now much healthier
centre. It just isn't enough for the state that Willow came in.

“I've worked with the society since I was 13 years old and she's up there with the top ten worst cases that I have seen in a long time. Really, £200 in today's money, it's nothing and a five year ban it's just not good enough.

"There will be a lot of disappointed people out there and it just makes you wonder what you have to do you know for people to get a more severe sentence."

Despite dismay at the leniency of the punishment for what is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty ever seen in the area, the misery is at least over for Willow.

Thanks to the constant care, love and attention that she has received since, Willow has literally been given a second chance at life and now looks set to be re-homed within the next couple of weeks. " taken from STV's news site

But on the news today Willow has a new forever home with a family who live in the country

Too many people like him around, there will be dogs of course that don't get rescued, die and are burried away somewhere.

but that is good news about Willow, I'm sure she will enjoy her new life in the country.

Im so pleased Willow has been lucky enough to be rescued... I just wisht his was the outcome more often.... If only we could starve the 'humans' that do this to the dogs....then leave them to die...wonder if they would do it again?????

Its a sad world, at first you can't believe people could be like that but after the child near here starved to death by her mother & stepfather I can believe anything. Lets hope he never gets the chance to have another dog.

Very sad really, but it does go on

Horrible man. He's not going to care about that sentence. In the grand scheme of things what's £200 these days and as for being banned from looking after animals, he probably doesn't want another one any way.

Heidi