A man who didn’t take his badly injured to the vet after she was hit by a car has been banned from owning another animal for five years.
Jason Allen Heelan, 47, has also been ordered to pay thousands of dollars over the shocking case of animal cruelty of four-month-old Staffordshire terrier Diamond.
The dog was left with serious injuries, including a fracture after she became trapped under a car wheel in 2023.
The court heard that RSPCA WA inspector visited a Perth address last October after receiving an animal cruelty report.
The RSPCA inspector noted that Diamond struggled to stand up and had a swollen left hind leg, The West Australian reported.
‘She was limping when encouraged to walk and was only able to take a few steps before lying back down again,’ a statement said.
‘She also had red open wounds on the front of her head and her thigh area.’
The court heard that Heelan was at the property at the time and told the inspector that another man who lived there had taken Diamond to the vet and that her injuries had ‘pretty much healed’.
After being struck by a car and caught under its wheel, the four-month-old puppy (pictured) suffered a ‘painful’ fractured pelvis and other wounds
The RSPCA inspector noticed Diamond was struggling to stand up and had a swollen left hind leg (pictured) – as well as a head and leg wounds
‘The inspector was told the puppy was given pain relief at that initial vet visit, but there was no concern about possible broken bones,’ the RSPCA said.
RSPCA WA launched as investigation and discovered that an emergency vet only provided first aid to Diamond due to ‘the owner’s financial constraints’.
But the emergency vet did give the man ‘strict instructions’ to take Diamond to her regular vet the next day.
The RSCPA issued verbal and written notices for the owner to take Diamond to a vet within 24 hours – a request that was ignored, the court heard.
When police attended the property. Heelan claimed he couldn’t take Diamond to the vet because she had run away.
It was later discovered Heelan was trying to hide Diamond from the RSPCA at another address, which he initially denied.
Diamond was later seized and taken to the the RSPA Animal Care Centre, where it was found that she was suffering ‘from a painful fractured pelvis’.
Heelan appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday, where he was convicted on three charges relating to his cruel treatment of Diamond.
Diamond (pictured recently) has recovered and returned to the family who originally fostered her as a young pup
On top of a five year ban, Heelan ordered to pay more than $2,500 in court costs and fine an additional $1,000 for breaching a suspended imprisonment order.
Diamond has since made a full recovery and adopted by a loving family who were originally fostering her.
Heelan had ‘severely’ let Diamond down, according to RSPCA WA inspector Manager Kylie Green.
“Diamond was so little when this ordeal happened to her, and she was not given the care and dignity she deserved at that time,” she said.
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