So much for man's best friend: Flea-ridden dog chewed off his own tail after owner left him untreated for a MONTH

A neglected bull terrier was so flea-ridden he bit off the end of his own tail in desperation after a month of suffering excruciating itching, a court heard.

Vets said two-year-old Sambuca had been scratching and biting himself for weeks, before the RSPCA found him covered in open, weeping sores and a wound in place of the tip of his tail.


Owner Shelley Blackwell, 29, was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to Sambuca at Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. As well as a £1,000 fine and 120 hours community service, she has been forced to hand over Sambuca to the RSPCA and banned from keeping animals for three years.       More Read