THE RSPCA are investigating distressing images that show a dog so badly cramped inside a tiny cage far it sits bent-legged.
Claire Bruus said she was passing what she thought was an empty house in Marston, Staffordshire yesterday when she heard a dog “barking and howling from a shed”.
After closer inspection, Claire was shocked to discover an Alsatian trapped inside a small cage on Yarlet Lane.
Claire took photographs showing the large brown and black Alsatian uncomfortably positioned inside a small metal barred crate.
According to Claire, the man who owns the dog works for HS2 who are currently using the nearby area to build a high speed railway line.
Sharing her images onto Facebook yesterday, Claire said: “A dog is kept 24/7 in a cage in a shed.
“The shed has no windows, just a hole where the glass was.
“The cage is not big enough and the Alsatian has to stay bent legged.
“It’s appalling.
“We only noticed as we heard the sounds of a distressed dog as we walked by and went to investigate as the building appeared empty and we thought that a dog had been abandoned.
“Gone back to speak to the ‘security’ and he has confirmed it is his personal dog.
“The security has the use of a big house but the dog has to stay in a cage that it can’t turn, stand or sit properly and would have to go to the toilet on itself.
“A local person and his wife were also in attendance and confirmed the security guard never takes the dog out on their rounds.
“Its utterly barbaric.
“The security stated that this isn’t the first time someone has complained about his care of the dog.
“He also stated he wouldn’t consider buying a bigger cage.”
Since sharing the images online last night, Claire’s post has received over 2,500 comments from horrified Facebook users.
Jayne Preece said: “Omg, that poor dog. Hope something gets sorted, that’s so cruel and evil.”
Margaret Cooke posted: “That’s terrible. How would he like to be stuck in a cage the same as the poor dog.”
Janet Jory commented: “This is an absolute disgrace.”
Speaking today, Claire said: “Police have been out and understand the RSPCA are coming today.
“The problem is he gets the dog out for inspectors then puts it back in.
“All we asked for is for him to get a bigger cage if it has to be crated and he said he didn’t need to.”
A spokeswoman for RSPCA today said: “We are aware of this and are looking into it.
“Unfortunately, we are unable to discuss individual reports and what action may have been taken.
“We understand how frustrating that is for animal lovers but releasing information could prejudice a future prosecution or could lead to us being fined.
They added: “We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare.
“However, a lot of the time issues will be dealt with by advice and education and it is not always appropriate to publicise this information for legal reasons.”
