London: Two British brothers who so overfed their pet Labrador dog that it weighed more than 70 kilograms (11 stone) were found guilty on Friday of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
David and Derek Benton, from Fordham near Cambridge in central England, were given a three-year conditional discharge after being convicted of allowing their 10-year-old pet "Rusty" to get so obese he weighed twice as much as he should.
Vets working for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) which brought the prosecution said the brown-coloured dog was so fat he was unable to walk more than six paces without having to sit down.
"An independent vet said that this dog was so obese that it was effectively crippled," said RSPCA superintendent Tim Wass.
Despite the verdict, a slimmer Rusty, who has lost about 20 kilos (3 stone) since being taken into the care of animal welfare officials, was returned to the brothers on condition they did not let him put on any weight.
"The RSPCA have gone overboard on this," an unrepentant David Benton told BBC television.
"Rusty was overweight, we're not denying that. But he was loved, you'll never get another dog like him."
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