A MAN has been banned from keeping pets after a dog bought on classifieds website Gumtree was found starving in his back yard.
Wayne Altrudo, 28, of Carlton Avenue, Feltham, received a six week community order and was banned from keeping pets for six years after admitting causing unnecessary harm to an animal at Feltham Magistrates Court on October 30.
The Weimaraner, named Skye, was bought by Altrudo's mother for £100 on Gumtree as a present for his children but in June RSPCA officers visiting the property spotted the dog tied to a drain pipe by three metres of electrical cable. She was emaciated and suffering from worms and put on 3kg in a fortnight after being taken into care by the RSPCA.
As Britain's biggest online classifieds site, Gumtree allows users to list private items for sale for free, rent property and even meet prospective partners. It met with controversy in August when a man responding to a fake advert was ambushed and stabbed in Barking, East London.
Following Altrudo's sentencing, RSPCA inspector Nicky Thorne said: “I think the case highlights how important it is to take into consideration the financial implications and knowledge required to look after a dog before you take one on.
“Not having the money or time to look after an animal properly or being ignorant to its needs is not an excuse for allowing it to suffer and I think the courts reflected this in their sentencing.”
