WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES: Albany man fined for animal cruelty

An Albany man has been fined more than $6000 and prohibited from owning any animal for two years after pleading guilty to two charges of animal cruelty.

Philip Tsipouras, 34, was sentenced in the Albany Magistrates Court today after his two dogs were seized from his property in January last year.

The RSPCA alleged when inspectors attended his property they discovered his two dogs Rosie, a Mastiff cross and Alice, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross extremely emaciated with their ribs, hips and spine clearly visible.

Both also had severe flea infestations with Alice’s condition so bad she had a large, infected skin wound which resembled a burn across her entire rump.

RSPCA seized the dogs and took them to a local vet clinic for treatment where a number of other health concerns including numerous skin sores, eye infections, extensive hair loss and broken teeth were discovered.

The dogs were eventually taken to the RSPCA Animal Care Centre in Perth.

RSPCA chief inspector Amanda Swift said the conditions the mature dogs had were preventable and had been left untreated to the stage they had become chronic.

“The dogs would have suffered substantially for a long period of time,” she said.

“Pet owners need to be responsible for an animal for its entire life. There is no excuse for leaving a dog to suffer from easily preventable issues such as fleas or lack of nutrition.

“Sadly older dogs can often be ignored and discarded and this is not acceptable. At all stages of their lives, animals need to receive appropriate veterinary care and sufficient food, water and shelter.”

Tsipouras was fined $2300 per dog and ordered to pay $1674 in vet bills as well as being banned from owning an animal for two years.