A man has been banned from owning dogs for two years after his own was found in 'extremely' poor condition.

Scottish SPCA inspectors visited the home of Allan Graham in Wishaw in 2020 after they received a complaint from someone who expressed concerns about his dog.

When they arrived they found his Staffordshire bull terrier English bull terrier cross Bruiser.

Bruiser was extremely underweight, had prominent ribs, spine and hip bones and his coat was foul-smelling and covered in dandruff. 

Officers also found a large bowl of water which had been coloured green with algae. 

Becoming very concerned for Bruiser's welfare, they took him to a vet who examined him. 

The pooch weighed in at 13.8kg, at least five kilograms under the normal weight for a dog of his breed.

Graham claimed that he was aware that Bruiser was underweight and was giving him pasta to bulk him up. 

Vets determined that there was no medical reason for Bruiser's weight loss other than lack of food. 

Graham pleaded guilty to failing to provide an adequate diet or veterinary treatment for Bruiser at Hamilton Sheriff Court on August 2, 2023. 

He has been banned from owning dogs for two years and given a £450 fine. 

Scottish SPCA chief inspector, Heather Lawson, said: “No clinical reason could be found for his weight loss and it was determined it was most likely due to a poor diet rather than an underlying medical condition.

“Bruiser soon regained weight in the care of one of our animal rescue and rehoming centres on a normal diet of commercially available dog food.

“We’re pleased Graham received a ban as, although he seemed to be aware that Bruiser was clearly in poor condition, he did nothing to resolve the situation.

“Bruiser’s suffering could easily have been alleviated through providing him with the correct nutrition.

“If anyone has concerns about the welfare of an animal they should call our animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”