A 27-year-old man has been jailed for three months for subjecting his puppy to cruelty.

East Anglian Daily Times: Pippin, a five-month-old Patterjack Daschund cross who was rescued from an address in Newmarket after being subjected to cruelty. Picture: Suffolk ConstabularyPippin, a five-month-old Patterjack Daschund cross who was rescued from an address in Newmarket after being subjected to cruelty. Picture: Suffolk Constabulary (Image: Suffolk Constabulary)

Police discovered five-month-old Patterjack Daschund cross Pippin in May 2019 outside an address in Newmarket sporting a white bandage on her right foreleg.

Jack Green, now of Sycamore Avenue, Golcar, near Huddersfield, claimed she may have fallen from a vehicle and said he took her to the vets, who had told him to treat the injury himself.

He said he had placed a makeshift bandage on her leg with duct tape and a toilet roll holder.

Not happy with her injury, treatment or his explanation, officers seized Pippin and sought immediate veterinary attention.

The vet established her right foreleg showed a severe leg injury which would require extensive treatment.

Green was charged at magistrates court in autumn with causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal between January 18 and May 2, 2019.

He pleaded guilty to this charge and appeared at Suffolk Magistrates’ Court in Ipswich on Wednesday, June 24, where he was jailed for 12 weeks, ordered to pay £200 in compensation and disqualified from owning a pet or keeping animals for five years.

Pippin was rehomed, having been initially placed into the care of the RSPCA.

She attended the vet every two days for three months to have her bandages changed.

Following her rehoming, Pippin continues to learn to interact with her new family and other animals.

Pc Victoria McNamara said: “As a wildlife crime officer for Suffolk police, I have a specific interest in animal welfare.

“Animals of all kinds are often hidden victims of crime and animal abuse can be a gateway to other offences being committed.

“It is wholly unacceptable to cause suffering to any animal and we will investigate and prosecute those offenders, bringing them to justice.

“In the case of Pippin, she was a little puppy who had for the first few months of her life suffered cruelty at the hands of her owner.

“She was not in the best condition, she weighed 3.1kg and was on pain relief for quite a few weeks due to her fractured leg.

“Over the last few months with correct care, adequate nutrition and lots of love, Pippin has flourished.”