A couple banned from owning a cat for five years after admitting a charge of cruelty to an animal have been told that they can keep their family dog.

Graham and Carolyn Wroot's cat Snowy was left untreated despite being so badly hurt he eventually had to have part of his severely infected ears removed.

But - after a desperate appeal to Bradford Magistrates - the couple were given permission to continue to look after their Labrador dog.

Nigel Monaghan, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, had asked that the pair be banned from owning any animals meaning that the couple would need to find a new home for one-year-old Harvey.

But Graham Wroot, 44, who lives with his 39-year-old wife and their six children at Silver Birch Drive, Wyke, urged magistrates not to impose the complete ban.

"Please don't do that," he said. "The dog is part of the family. The dog is something that we wanted to complete our family with. That dog is something we are trying to do right.

"We all make mistakes but do not make us suffer. My wife has been in tears every night about this," he added.

The pair were conditionally discharged after pleading guilty to a charge of cruelty to an animal and ordered to pay £400 each in costs. They were told that Snowy would be confiscated by the RSPCA.

But they would only be banned from keeping cats meaning that Harvey could stay.

The pair were charged after RSPCA inspector Carol Neale visited the couple's home in October last year and saw nine-year-old Snowy in a poor condition.

Mr Monaghan said that his ears were swollen and bleeding and discharging pus adding that he also had fleas and an unkempt coat.

Snowy was taken away and his ears were so badly damaged that he had to have the tips removed.

The court was told that the family, who were not represented, had been visiting Snowy while he was in RSPCA care.

Wroot admitted that they should have taken him to the vets but said that they did not have the money. He added: "Probably looking back I didn't take the interest in it that I should have done. But never at any point did we think it was in pain.

"We are sorry, we should have taken it, but there's no way we meant it."