Two brothers found guilty of feeding their dog.

The RSPCA successfully brought a prosecution against two Cambridgeshire brothers for causing unnecessary suffering to their pet dog by over feeding it. The first case of its kind.

The court heard from RSPCA inspector, Jason Finch, that when he visited the brothers’ house in February ‘06, their brown Labrador, Rusty, was so big he ‘looked like a seal.’ They were ordered then to take the dog to a vet.

They didn’t so Mr Finch did. The examining vet discovered that Rusty had an ear infection and that, ‘He looked like a walrus.’

Rusty (10 (or 70 in doggy years)) weighed over 11 stone, twice his ideal weight, and was taken from David (53) and Derek (63) Benton’s care. Rusty was so obese that he couldn’t walk more than six steps without needing a rest and had to scrub himself using a rag on a stick.

The Benton’s defence was largely based on the animal being engorged on their love, its arthritis stopped it exercising and that it was, in fact, a rare crossbreed big-boned Labrador.

The brothers were not only given a three-year conditional discharge but also the dog back to look after properly. Rusty had been on a diet whilst in care and lost three stone. Witnesses say he looked like a large otter.

The RSPCA wanted to remind everyone that a pet is a great responsibility and, especially at this time of year, isn’t just for Christmas. The Benton brothers heartily agreed, noting that if Rusty hadn’t been taken away then there would have been plenty left over for Boxing Day too.

Rusty just said, ‘Sausages.’

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Keywords: Cambridgeshire, Court, Dog, RSPCA, Seal, Vets, Walrus