A Caldicot man has been banned from keeping animals for five-years, after he left his dog suffering with chronic and severe skin disease over a prolonged period of time.

Karl Mark Hobday, 49, of Newport Road in Caldicot, pleaded guilty to the Animal Welfare Act offence at Usk Way Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (17 December).

He was banned from keeping animals for five-years, given a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work, and told to pay £400 in costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

The man’s failure to ensure urgent veterinary care for the dog led to the black labrador – named Holly – to suffer on days between October 2017 and August 2019.

An investigating RSPCA inspector said she had struggled to identify the breed of dog due to loss of fur and thickening of the skin – emphasising the scale of neglect.

Images released to the court show the extent of Holly’s damaged skin – but, thankfully, the dog has made a “remarkable, heart-warming” transformation in the care of the RSPCA, and has been successfully rehomed via the charity’s Newport Animal Centre.

RSPCA inspector Sophie Daniels said: “This dog was suffering for many months with chronic conditions which left her skin so raw, sore and thickened.

“The court heard she had suffered because her owner had not sought veterinary care, which is heartbreaking and means her suffering could have been easily avoided.

“Initially, it was very difficult to even identify the breed of this black labrador, as the skin was in such shocking condition.

“Fortunately, Holly has undergone a remarkable, heart-warming transformation in RSPCA care and has been happily rehomed. Her story is an amazing example of why the RSPCA exists.”