A MAN who failed to get help for his friend’s dying puppy has been banned from keeping animals for five years.

As reported in the Advertiser previously, Michael Murray was initially accused of stomping on the pet, inflicting such severe injury that it had to be put down.

However, the 26-year-old pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in court last month that removed any reference to him standing on the pup.

Instead, he admitted that he caused unnecessary suffering to the animal and did “fail to afford said dog medical treatment” when he knew it to be injured, and in circumstances that required the pup to be euthanised.

On Thursday, fiscal depute Graham McLachlan told the county’s Sheriff Court that Murray was supposed to be looking after his flatmate’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier on November 26 last year.

However, at around 10.30pm the “distressed and whimpering” puppy was found by a delivery driver outside in Maple Court.

Mr McLachlan stated that the substantial damage to the dog’s rear legs and hindquarter happened during Murray’s responsibility. 

Instead of getting help, the accused failed to take action in respect to the pet’s injuries.

Instead, it was the good samaritan who took the puppy to Alloa Police Station.

It was then taken to a vet where it was found to have a broken lower back, a severed spinal cord and was completely paralysed below the waist.

The little pup was then put to sleep.

After a police investigation, Murray was arrested.

No explanation was given to the court how the puppy ended up injured or outside.

Defending, Kelly Howe claimed that her client was caring for his own puppy as well as his flatmate’s and was incapable of looking after the pets.

She stated that Murray’s position was that when he discovered the dog was missing, he panicked but realised he should have got help.

The accused would later give his own puppy to his friend because of what happened.

Murray, who was said to have taken steps to address his use of illicit substances, found himself as the subject of gossip on social media. 

Ms Howe claimed that some of the online posts surrounding the case weren’t accurate and the accused and his family had been threatened.

Sheriff David Mackie sentenced Murray, of Maple Court, to a Community Payback Order with 180 hours of unpaid work to be completed within three months.

The accused was also banned from owning, keeping or caring for an animal for five years. He will be able to appeal against the ruling in three years.

Last week, Murray also admitted breaking his bail conditions by speaking to a man in Alloa’s Ladbrokes shop on December 28 last year when prohibited.

Sheriff Mackie admonished the accused for the breach.