A Derry man has been convicted at Londonderry Departmental Court on Thursday last of causing unnecessary suffering to two Staffordshire type dogs in June 2021.
Dylan Lockhart was issued with a six-month custodial sentence suspended for two years and is banned from keeping dogs for seven years.
The complaint was was brought against him by Derry City and Strabane District Council under the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011.
The dogs were living in unhygienic conditions and were in an emaciated state.
The defendant was also ordered to pay costs totalling £1,325 for veterinary costs and care of the two dogs, as well as legal fees of £226.
Both dogs have been successfully rehomed by Derry City and Strabane District Council.
