Man who neglected dogs used to guard Sheffield building site spared prison

A judge spared a man found guilty of neglecting three dogs on a Sheffield building site prison but banned him from keeping animals.
The compound where the dogs were being kept.The compound where the dogs were being kept.
The compound where the dogs were being kept.

District Judge Paul Healey told Adrian Appleyard, 41, that he had failed to ensure the basic needs of an Anatloian shepherd called Athena and two Caucasian shepherds called Koda and Sasha.

Philip Brown, prosecuting, told Sheffield Magistrates' Court that Appleyard and Karl Harwood were found guilty in their absence of mistreating and failing to ensure the welfare of the dogs at an earlier hearing.

RSPCA supplied pictures of the neglected dogs on a building site on Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, Sheffield.RSPCA supplied pictures of the neglected dogs on a building site on Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, Sheffield.
RSPCA supplied pictures of the neglected dogs on a building site on Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, Sheffield.
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Mr Brown said the dogs were kept as guard dogs on a building site on Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, and were left unattended between January 20 and January 23, prompting RSCPA inspectors to visit the site.

The dogs had been left in three shelters but the rood of one covering two of the dogs '“ Koda ans Sasha '“ has blown off, leaving them exposed to '˜bitterly' cold weather and snow, he added.

RSPCA supplied pictures of the neglected dogs on a building site on Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, Sheffield.RSPCA supplied pictures of the neglected dogs on a building site on Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, Sheffield.
RSPCA supplied pictures of the neglected dogs on a building site on Hollin Busk Lane, Deepcar, Sheffield.

He added Dr Jenny Turner, a veterinary surgeon at Springfield Vets, also attended the site and said that the housing and nutritional supplies for the dogs were unsuitable.

Mr Brown said: 'She believed that the period of suffering would been for at least four to six weeks but probably longer. They had suffered either a variable shortage of food over several weeks or starved entirely for a period of days."

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The prosecutor also told the court that Koda had developed '˜behavioural difficulties' and that a vet had decided it was in the dog's best interests to carry out euthanasia.

Appleyard, of Springhead Road, Rothwell, Leeds, representing himself, told the court he was going through a '˜difficult time' and was caring for his mother and daughter at the time.

Sasha, pictured in May, after being taken in by the RSPCA.Sasha, pictured in May, after being taken in by the RSPCA.
Sasha, pictured in May, after being taken in by the RSPCA.

He said: 'I am not in any way, shape or form a bad person and I have not set out in any way, shape or form to harm those dogs.

'The dogs have suffered and I have to live with that for the rest of my life. My mum needs the help and there is no-one else for her. I have to do everything.

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'All I was trying to do was look after my daughter and my mum and it's affected other things and I am sorry for that.'

Handing Appleyard a community order and ordering him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, Judge Healey said he had the '˜ultimate responsibility' for enusring the welfare of the dogs.

He added: 'It is a serious case of failing to ensure that the animals needs were met buty ou have caring responsibilities for your mother and also for your daughter.

'The starting point for offences of this type is custody but I feel that given you have no previous convictions and caring responsibilities I can step down from that.'

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Judge Healey also deprived Appleyard from looking after Athena and Sasha, who remain in the care of the RSPCA, and banned him from keeping any animal for five years.

Harwood, of Ivy Gardens, Bramley, Leeds, was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work at an earlier hearing.