Puppies left with tails hanging off after former butcher illegally docked them

A couple have been banned from keeping dogs for five years after ‘mutilating’ seven puppies by illegally docking their tails.

Former butcher Wayne Glasby, 37, and Joanne Glasby, 50, claimed they ‘had not even noticed’ the tails were missing when the RSPCA visited them on November 30.

Joanne Glasby even tried to claim she had never even seen the puppies before – even though the pictures had been taken in her house.

Officers were alerted to the abuse when the pair advertised the puppies for sale online.

During the inspection four puppies, aged around six to seven weeks, with docked tails were found and a further three were identified from photographs.

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Prosecutor Andy Cash told Sheffield Magistrates’ Court that two of the puppies’ tails were left hanging off with the bone exposed due to the illegal procedure.

Under the law, only proven working dogs can have their tails docked by a trained vet before they are five days old.

But RSPCA Inspector Leanne Booth said: ‘By their own admission these poor puppies had their tails docked by the Glasbys at five weeks old, way beyond what is allowed by law when conducted by a vet.’

Docking involves cutting the blood supply off from the tail until it falls off.

The Glasby’s were found to have tried to carry out the procedure at their home in Thurcroft, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, using lamb docking rings.

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Mr Cash said it would have left the puppies in ‘unnecessary pain which is anticipated to have lasted a few days.’

When Wayne Glasby was interviewed by police he admitted owning the puppies but denied docking their tails, instead claiming a vet had done it.

But when attempts were made to contact the vet it was found out they did not exist.

Joanne Glasby told officers she was also responsible for the puppies and denied knowing who was responsible for docking their tails.

Helen White, mitigating, said her clients had rehomed all the dogs ahead of the hearing apart from a 12-year-old lurcher that they hoped a relative would take care of.

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She said Joanne Glasby had no previous offences and the proceedings had a ‘traumatic’ impact on the couple, who kept a smallholding with a pony, sheep and lambs.

Deputy district judge Derek French said they were ‘serious offences’, and added: ‘There’s no doubt that these dogs would have been under extreme discomfort and that is not acceptable.

‘It concerns me that you run a smallholding which you use to look after sheep and lambs but I don’t have any evidence in front of me about their welfare.’

As well as the ban, the couple were also sentenced to a 12 month community order including 150 hours of unpaid work each.

Each was ordered to pay £600 costs and an £85 surcharge.