A MAN has been banned from keeping animals for five years after he left his husky dog to suffer with a broken leg for more than four weeks.

David Morton told magistrates sitting at Newton Aycliffe that he “didn’t give a monkeys” what they said and would have two dogs by the weekend.

Kevin Campbell, prosecuting on behalf of RSPCA, said the charity became involved after a veterinary surgeon contacted them to raise concerns about Morton’s dog, a Husky named Sendi.

He said: “On the 22nd July [2019] the dog was seen by a vet who conceded that the dog had a fracture to her leg and the injury was four to six weeks old. The dog had either been untreated or treated inadequately.

“She concluded that the dog was clearly suffering as a result of the failure to give it any proper treatment.”

The dog had a broken femur and was unable to walk when she was seen by a vet.

Mr Campbell added: “When inspectors attended the address they could see the dog was unable to stand on its hind leg.

“A male answered the door and said he was the defendant, the inspector asked him about the dog in question and he was uncooperative – referring to him as a donkey.

“The defendant told him to f*** off, he was not allowed to enter the property and police had to be called to help him.”

Morton, of Jane Street, Stanley was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal at an earlier hearing after the case was dealt with in his absence.

Paul Donohue, mitigating, said the 28-year-old had not set out to harm his own dog.

He said: “The actual injury has not been caused on purpose. It was caused accidentally and the complaint is that the dog did not have the proper treatment. He accepts that the dog did not have an operation but that wasn’t for lack of trying.

“Like many people he does not have insurance so if anything happens it would fall to him to pay for it.

“If he had £5,000 there and then he would have spent it on the dog.

“He didn’t want the dog to suffer but he just has not got the money.”

Morton was banned from keeping animals for five years and ordered to pay £480 costs.

Magistrates said the community element of a sentence imposed at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, January 15, for a separate matter was enough to also cover this conviction.

Sendi was treated by the RSPCA and remains in their care.