Man let dog and rabbit get so ill they had to be put to sleep

A man who let his family's pets get so poorly they had to be put to sleep has been spared jail after saying he had been 'overwhelmed' by personal problems.

Warehouseman Dawid Palyz, 39, was reported to the RSPCA after police noticed both his German shepherd called Vaga and rabbit called Snow looking seriously ill. Despite being told to take them to a vet Palyz, who a court heard was on sick leave with depression, failed to get them treatment. The dog and rabbit were subsequently seized.

Vaga, who was 13 years old, was suffering from a skin disease. Snow the rabbit, meanwhile, had severe conjunctivitis. Both animals were put to sleep on welfare grounds, the court was told.

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When quizzed Palyz, from Widnes, Cheshire, accepted he had failed in his responsibilities to the pets, but claimed he was unable to afford veterinary bills due to personal and financial 'stresses' in his life.

At Warrington magistrates court, he faced up to six months jail after he pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering. The father-of-two was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation activity. He was also ordered to pay £400 towards RSPCA costs and a £154 surcharge, and banned from keeping animals for five years.

Palyz, originally from Poland, came to the UK nine years ago with his family and the dog in search of a better life and they got the rabbit later, the court heard.

A probation officer told the court Palyz had been struggling with his health as a result of stress and had taken a 'significant period of time'