Pet ban for man who kept dog in a cupboard (From Croydon Guardian)

Pet ban for Croydon man Ajibade Ajibabi who kept dog locked in a cupboard

9:00am Wednesday 5th September 2012 in News

A man who kept his malnourished dog padlocked in a cupboard has been banned from owning pets for five years.

Ajibade Ajibabi’s dog Sippey was found with a padlock around his neck and a tether bolted to the ground, when an RSPCA inspector visited his address in Church Road, Upper Norwood, on May 8 last year.

Croydon Magistrates’ Court heard the charity was called about a skinny dog being tied to a bollard outside the address.

When the inspector asked to see the dog, Mr Ajibabi, 43, moved a fixed nail that appeared to wedge the door shut.

Alison Kemsley, prosecuting on behalf of the RSPCA, said: “I stroked the dog and could feel all his major bones.

“I could see all his ribs, back bone, hip bones and chest bones sticking out.

“It was not a pleasurable experience.”

The inspector discovered the dog had come from a tiny cupboard stinking of dog faeces and urine, that measured about 30cm by 125cm.

No food or water was found in the cupboard and when confronted, Mr Ajibabi, said it was the dog’s kennel and Sippey was a guard dog, not a pet.

He said he chained the dog, believed to be a mastiff cross breed, to stop him from jumping up at him and injuring him.

Miss Kemsley said: “Mr Ajibabi told the inspector he tethered the dog to the metal railings outside the flat so the dog was in direct sunlight for a few hours a day.

"This was so the dog could get vitamins and sun rays into his coat as he needed it.”

Sippey weighed just 23.4kg, when a dog of his type should weigh between 35kg and 40kg.

Mr Ajibabi was found guilty of one count of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and three counts of failing to look after the dog at a trial in December.

Nicholas Robinshaw, defending, told the court Mr Ajibabi fully accepted he had been cruel and mistreated the animal, and had no intention of owning another dog.

As well as banning him from owning dogs at his sentencing last Wednesday, magistrates ordered Mr Ajibabi to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, be supervised by probation for 12 months, and pay costs of more than £4,000.