A court has fined a FIFO worker and his wife and banned them from future pet ownership after they failed to treat their dog's allergies.
American staffy Ella was found in a yard covered in faeces and suffering severe allergies in March 2022 after a tip-off to RSPCA Western Australia.
The four-year-old dog had several patches of missing fur, raised lumps, and thickened, cracked, flaking skin as well as ears that emitted a "potent smell", the RSPCA said in a statement.
The FIFO worker said the yard had not been cleared of faeces in about six weeks due to his work commitments and his wife not doing "well with dog faeces".
He acknowledged the dog suffered from allergies her whole life but highlighted the expense of vet bills for never seeking professional treatment.
After the owners surrendered the dog to the RSPCA, she was diagnosed with ear infections, severe and chronic generalised skin disease, conjunctivitis, alopecia and other allergy-related issues, the RSPCA said.
In a Rockingham court on Friday, the couple pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable steps to prevent an animal from suffering harm.
They were convicted, fined $2500 each and banned from owning any pets except for three domestic cats named currently in their care, court records show.
Ella has since been rehabilitated and rehomed.
"Despite her chronic allergies, Ella was a sweetheart who absolutely loved everybody," RSPCA inspector manager Kylie Green said in a statement.
"To see her suffering unnecessarily like that, and to hear she’d had untreated allergies her whole life, is quite frankly, heartbreaking."
The official acknowledged vet bills could be expensive "but there is no excuse to let an animal suffer".
"Reach out to friends, family or rescue groups or discuss a payment plan with your vet," she said.
The Port Kennedy couple faced maximum penalties of a $50,000 fine and up to five years in prison.
