OWNER LET DOGS DIE IN VAN 'OVEN'
A DOG-HANDLER has been convicted of animal cruelty after his two pet dogs died when they were left in a van as outside temperatures soared to 32°C.
RSPCA inspectors found Belgian Shepherd, Sky, dead inside the van and German Shepherd, Duke, fighting for his life.
They had suffered severe heatstroke and died from organ failure after being locked in the van for at least an hour on July 1.
Now owner Lee Ellerton, pictured, will be sentenced next week after being found guilty of two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and four counts of not taking reasonable care of an animal.
North Staffordshire Magistrates heard Ellerton worked for specialist dog-handling company Alpha K-9, of Widnes, which provides dogs for security purposes.
The court heard the 37-year-old had left Sky and Duke inside his work van at his girlfriend's house in Holehouse Road, Abbey Hulton.
The van had a fan system to keep the animals cool, but it only fully worked when the vehicle was moving.
Ellerton, of Riley Street, Burslem, told the court he had left the dogs for an hour and thought the fan system was on.
He said: "I was going to take the dogs to Westport Lake so I put them in the van.
"Then my girlfriend said she needed to pick something up from her friend's, so we went in her car. We were away about an hour.
"I would never purposely hurt those dogs, I loved them. I thought they would be OK in the back with the fan on."
But Andrew Meachin, prosecuting, said even a fully working fan would not have helped.
He said: "The system is there to extract air and cool animals down in transit.
"It only has a cooling effect when the vehicle gets up to 50 or 60mph.
"In any event it would never have been sufficient in those circumstances and the defendant would have been well aware of that, because of the training he received from his employers."
The RSPCA was called out after a member of the public saw the dogs in the van.
RSPCA inspector Julie Lyons said: "It was really, really bad. The heat that came out was overwhelming, it nearly knocked me off my feet. The smell was disgusting.
"On one side of the van was Sky who was lying with its legs in the air, completely in rigor mortis. On the other was Duke, who had completely collapsed from heat exhaustion."
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by Unknown.., Scotland
Wednesday, January 27 2010, 8:54PM
“i had the misfortune to have known this man... very irrisponsable and a very selfish man thinking only of his own needs and wishes, those poor dogs ... i don't know what happend to the dog who was found almost alive it hasnt said but i hope its ok , & no not all Ellertons are dog killers i know them and they love their dogs...”
by an irrate dog owner, newcastle
Monday, January 25 2010, 11:44AM
“Unfortunately I had the displeasure of having this monster liviing in my neighbourhood a few years ago, and having witnessed animal cruelty against his other german shepards and the RSPCA having to remove the poor defenceless animals can someone answer the question as to why this dispicable man was able to get a job with animals , throw away the key he deserves everything he gets a long time coming if you ask me at last minger you get your comeuppance”
by danny, macclesfield
Monday, January 25 2010, 3:47AM
“well i know lee personaly infact i trained him in security so i not overly happey knowing this either”
by r m, chesterton
Sunday, January 24 2010, 12:00PM
“disgusting. he should know better being a so-called dog handler. its common sense to most people.
hope he gets sacked and banned from keeping animals.”
by Mrs Cheveley, Trentham
Sunday, January 24 2010, 11:33AM
“Sharon, leaving the windows open a little doesn't change a thing. Ventilation isn't the issue, but the sudden magnification of heat on a stationary metal/glass object positioned in direct sunlight.
Lots of people think "leaving the window open" means they can leave the dogs inside. Not so. Lots of those people end up with dead dogs and facing charges like this.”
by sharon, castle
Sunday, January 24 2010, 10:05AM
“does it hurt to leave the windows open a little, better still why not put the dogs in his girlfreinds garden or in her kitchen or let me guess his girlfreind didnt like the dogs or want them to drop a few hairs on her floor, and as a result the dogs are dead, well done u silly sod, 32 degrees times that by 4 and u got your heat!! maybe u should be sat in the back of a van in soaring temperatures!!”
by Daniella, staffordshire
Saturday, January 23 2010, 7:49PM
“i am disgusted that these poor dogs have been left in a van in soaring temperatures to die the owner should be put behind bars what a disgrace.”
by DANIELLA, staffordshire
Saturday, January 23 2010, 7:46PM
“i am disgusted that these dogs were left in a van with such a high temperature.The owner should go to jail. how stupid can you get, anyone knows that the heat kills animals in cars especially with no water. LOCK HIM UP”
by Andi, Stoke
Saturday, January 23 2010, 6:01PM
“PC Mark Johnson from Nottinghamshire Police Force is being prosecuted for the same offence from last year too, his case is in february , wonder if they will get same punishment ?”
by geoff, Telford
Saturday, January 23 2010, 5:25PM
“Mrs Cheveley, Trentham, i see 32c outside heck , it could have been at least double that then in a van. He should be strung up for that im afraid. Also these twopenny hapeney security companies should be bannedfrom using dogs. I just hope the customers that use this firm kicks them into touch and use genuine company ...”