WARNING: Details of animal abuse
A father and his daughter have been given suspended jail sentences after their cruel neglect of two poodles killed one and left the other terribly injured.
Glenn Morgan, 64, and his daughter Kristina, 28, from Davoren Park, in Adelaide’s north, faced Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The couple was convicted of mistreating an animal and causing death or serious harm.
The South Australian RSPCA was first alerted by a veterinary clinic on July 21, 2023, after treating a five-year-old toy poodle called Dexter with “extreme signs of neglect.”
The dog was in so much pain that it had to be sedated just to undergo an examination, where it was discovered that it had matted fur that was strangling all four of its legs.
One of his front paws had been “cut to the bone” by matted fur, while most of his teeth had also fallen out and he had a hernia in his stomach.
“The prognosis for the dog was so poor that euthanasia was the only humane option,” a South Australian RSPCA spokesperson said.
Inspectors and police found a 12-year-old poodle named Teddy at the family home in a similarly desperate condition.
Adelaide woman Kristina Morgan (pictured) and her father Glenn have been sentenced after neglecting their two dogs to the point one was put down and the other mutilated.
Teddy had also lost most of his teeth and had pus coming out of his ears, which Morgan said had been going on for at least two months.
Inspectors said Teddy also had very matted fur, struggled to stay upright and was constantly shaking his head in pain due to the severe ear infection.
Morgan agreed to hand Teddy over to inspectors so he could be examined by an RSPCA vet.
Teddy was found to have “holes between his nose and mouth where his upper canines had been” that needed urgent surgery to close.
“Under his flea-riddled coat and dreadlocks, Teddy was also underweight and was found to be suffering from untreated heart disease,” RSPCA SA said.
But extensive treatment and months of recovery in a foster home allowed Teddy to recover and be permanently adopted in July.
Morgan’s father and daughter were sentenced to three months and 15 days behind bars, suspended with a two-year good behavior bond.
They are also prohibited from owning animals “until further notice,” with the exception of two cats and a parrot owned by a relative in the same house.
The two toy poodles, Teddy (pictured, now in foster care) and Dexter were found with matted fur and had lost several teeth after significant time without the care of either owner.
The daughter and father (pictured) were sentenced to three months and 15 days behind bars, suspended with two-year good behavior bonds.
Magistrate Lana Chester harshly criticized the couple during sentencing and said the offenses were made even more serious by Dexter’s death.
He added that the deterioration of the dying dog’s condition would have taken a significant amount of time without the intervention of either owner.
“Dexter would have suffered considerable pain,” Magistrate Chester told the court.
“Animals are helpless and vulnerable beings who depend entirely on their humans for food, shelter and care.”
RSPCA SA chief inspector Andrew Baker said the owners showed an “extremely disturbing” failure to recognize the basic needs of both dogs.
“No one washed them, no one fixed them, no one seemed to even be aware of the suffering that was happening in front of them,” he said in a statement.
“We urge people not to purchase an animal without first understanding and committing the time and money necessary to maintain its overall health and well-being.”