Neglected pet 'hard to recognise as a dog'

The cruelty of an Australian man whose ungroomed poodle was burdened with a kilogram of dirty, matted fur has cost him $7200.

Robert Neville Braithwaite was ordered to pay the RSPCA $7200 in costs, and serve a three-year, $100 good behaviour bond, for neglecting a poodle called Spud.

Adelaide Magistrate Kym Millard said Braithwaite's poor health was no excuse for his inaction.



"Officers had difficulty initially identifying Spud as a dog because of the very matted state of his hair and his poor condition generally," he said.

Braithwaite, 67, of Camden Park, was found guilty of two counts of illtreating an animal.

Mr Millard declined to ban Braithwaite from owning other animals or giving up his exotic bird collection.