A HEARTLESS pet owner has been jailed after beating a five-month-old puppy so badly he had to be put down.
Jerome Lothian, 28, left Mula, a bulldog mix puppy, with multiple fractures to his leg, pelvis and spine through two months of horrific abuse.
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A court heard how the thug tried to blame the injuries on the dog falling off a sofa and a step before experts found she had suffered ‘severe blunt force trauma’.
Heartbreaking photos show little Mula barely able to stand with her leg in a bandage before being shot by vets to end her suffering.
Lothian was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the puppy and other animal welfare offenses by Nottingham Magistrates Court.
He was jailed for 16 weeks and banned from keeping animals for life last Wednesday.
Lothian and his partner Danielle Toni O’Brien, 31, were also found guilty of failing to provide veterinary care to the young pup and leaving her to suffer.
HORRIFIC WOUNDS
The court heard animal charity PDSA contacted the RSPCA over concerns that Mula had developed various injuries over the space of a few months – without a reasonable explanation.
The young pup had old fractures that had not been treated, as well as a new fracture in his hind leg.
She had difficulty walking on her hind legs and she was bleeding from the nostrils with injuries to her mouth and tongue.
The vet felt that the extent of Mula’s injuries, even with intensive treatment, meant she would suffer from chronic pain and felt the best option was to put her to sleep.
But the police were called after O’Brien refused to authorize Mula’s euthanasia.
While they waited for police, RSPCA inspector Helen Mead sat down with the helpless pup, the court heard.
She said the dog was barely moving, but after a while Mula used her front paws to rub her stomach and rested her head in the officer’s hands.
“SERIOUS TRAUMA”
During the police investigation, it was discovered that Mula had suffered a catalog of horrific injuries before she was shot.
Neither Lothian nor O’Brian could give reasonable explanations for how most of the injuries occurred and there were a number of discrepancies between their stories, the court heard.
Vets concluded that Mula had been physically abused while Lothian was responsible for her.
In a statement, a veterinarian said: “A puppy this age should not be seen with multiple fractures.
“Elbow fractures can be seen in bulldog puppies after minimal trauma. However, multiple femoral fractures, and certainly a pelvic fracture, would require much greater trauma than the owner reported.
“I can only conclude that the fractures and injuries observed are the result of trauma.”
Lothian, of Carlton, Nottinghamshire, was ordered to pay £2,000 in costs and a victim fine surcharge of £120.
O’Brien, from Nottingham, was sentenced to a 12-month community order with a 20-day rehabilitation requirement and a deprivation order was issued in respect of another dog she owns.
She was also ordered to pay £2,000 in costs and a victim surcharge of £85.
Following the hearing, RSPCA Inspector Helen Mead said: “This young dog has suffered repeated abuse at the hands of Lothian.
“I wanted nothing more than for her to recover, but unfortunately the extent of her injuries meant that was not possible.
“By being with her while she was asleep, I hope the lovely team at PDSA and I comforted her in her final moments.
“This case of deliberate cruelty will stay with me for a very long time.”
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