Man found guilty in Airdrie dog suffering case

A man has been found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs and selling them without a licence in Airdrie.

Christopher Gorman, 54, had been keeping the animals in his back yard.

He was also found guilty of leaving the dogs in an unsuitable environment where they were living among excrement. Gorman was reported to the Scottish SPCA by concerned buyers.

Sentence at Airdrie Sheriff Court was deferred.

Sheriff Derek O'Carroll said Gorman had refused to accept responsibility "for any and every shortcoming in care for the dogs which he was responsible for".

He said: "Many dogs, including puppies, had suffered unnecessarily some to a great extent and that was wrong and that was illegal."

He said one dog had suffered so badly it had to be put down.

Sheriff O'Carroll described the offences as so serious that a jail sentence was a possibility.

The Crown said Gorman had assets of more than £1.2m.

'Fight injuries'

A Scottish SPCA inspector told BBC Scotland Gorman had been operating an "unlicensed pet shop"

He said: "This was not just someone failing to look after an animal, this was someone who had in excess of 40 dogs and pups of high value in his back garden.

"He gave them absolutely no regard for their welfare."

He said the dogs were given no veterinary treatment despite obvious health issues, including injuries from fights with other dogs and viruses such as Conjunctivitis.

The animal welfare charity said it had cost in excess of £100,000 to look after the dogs since they were removed from Gorman's home.