TWO men have been barred from owning or being responsible for any animal for a number of years after a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.

Thomas Bolton, 24, of Broomhill Street, Stoke-on-Trent, and Matthew Stubbs, 20, of the same address, appeared before Bradford Magistrates’ Court yesterday, to face charges relating to their treatment of three Staffordshire Bull Terriers - Teig, Bobo and Tyson - while they lived in Bradford.

The court heard Bolton was the owner of the dogs, but Stubbs was jointly responsible for them, and a series of visits and incidents were tracked.

On the first visit, to a property on Rand Street, Shearbridge, on October 11 last year, the RSPCA inspector was told there were two dogs in the house - one which was in the cellar and one that had the run of the rest of the house.

When the inspector went to the cellar, where Teig was kept, he was said to be “excited” at getting attention. The inspector noted a strong smell of ammonia and piles of faecal matter.

An Animal Welfare Assessment form was issued and the inspector told the defendants Teig should be integrated with the other dog, or should be signed over so he could receive the care he needed. At this point, the inspector had not been told there was a third dog in the house.

Another visit took place a week later, but the matter came to a head on January 24 this year, after a further report about the conditions the dogs were living in.

The court heard a veterinary surgeon had issued a certificate to say the three dogs were likely to suffer if their circumstances did not change.

The tempers of both Bolton and Stubbs rose at this visit and the dogs were removed and were taken for an assessment.

The dogs were found to have long claws and soft paws - a sign of not being walked regularly - while Tyson was said to flinch when touched. His behaviour was that of a dog which was fearful of people and loud noises.

The court also heard evidence provided by a former partner of Bolton, who lived with him on Rand Street between September and December last year.

She touched on a number of issues regarding how the dogs were kept and treated, with Stubbs said to be the disciplinarian who would take his bad mood out on the dogs. It was said he grabbed Tyson by both sides of his face, lifted him off the floor, screamed in his face and threw him on to a bed.

Evidence was heard from an animal behaviourist who highlighted Tyson’s extreme anxiety and fear. The court heard they “accept their failure, they are certainly not proud of it.”

Stubbs was jailed for 10 weeks, suspended for 24 months. He must pay costs of £260 and is disqualified from owning or being responsible for any animal for 10 years.

Bolton was handed a 12-month community order, must carry out rehabilitation activity days, pay costs of £260 and is indefinitely disqualified from owning or being responsible for any animal.