A New Milton man has been banned from owning dogs after causing unnecessary suffering to his two pets.

John Wheeler has been found guilty of two charges of mistreating his animals after they were discovered with chronic hair loss, malnourishment and infested with live fleas.

The 63-year-old of Marryat Road, New Milton appeared at Southampton Magistrates Court to face a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to collie-cross Megan, eight, and 19-year-old Labrador Mitzi by failing to give them an adequate diet.

He was also charged with not taking steps to protect Mitzi from pain and disease by failing to treat her skin problems.

Now he has been given an eight-week jail sentence suspended for 18 months and banned from owning dogs for five years.

It comes after Wheeler was investigated over an 18-month period by the RSPCA, with officers concerned that he was not looking after his animals properly.

Wheeler was described in court as an “uneducated man” and a “rough diamond”.

The RSPCA investigation started in 2014 when an officer found Mitzi suffering from a severe skin condition.

The court heard how Mitzi and Megan were both discovered by RSPCA inspector Patrick Bailey with severe hair loss, covered in live fleas and underweight.

Inspector Bailey told the court the dogs were “riddled with fleas” and Wheeler’s flat was “dirty, smelly and lots of possessions were piled up”.

Jennifer Seawood, from Forest Vets, who looked at both the dogs, told the court: “Megan had severe skin problems and extensive fur loss. I could see a reddening of the skin and thickening in some areas, as well as infection and inflammation. She also had live fleas.

“Mitzi was in the worst condition with very little fat and muscle, very painful-looking skin irritation and infested with fleas. She had alopecia and an acute skin condition.”

The dogs were both taken into care by the RSPCA and Mitzi is currently being fostered while Megan is staying in the kennels.

As well as a five-year ban and eight-week suspended sentence, Wheeler was fined £1,000 to pay for court costs, vet bills and RSPCA bills, and was given a deprivation order which means he no longer owns all three dogs.

Inspector Bailey said: “These dogs were left to suffer for a significant amount of time with an extreme flea allergy, a condition that even led to them losing their fur. This would have been an uncomfortable and stressful experience for them and there is no doubt that they would have suffered as a result.

“All of the dogs are now doing well in our care – they have gained weight, their skin has fully healed after their ordeal and their fur has even regrown in the areas that they had gone bald. They are back to being the happy, healthy dogs that they always should have been.

“We are pleased with the result at Southampton Magistrates’ and hope that more people will take a lesson from it and understand that owning any pet is a big responsibility, one that should not be taken lightly, as leaving your pets to suffer in this way will never be tolerated by law.”