A couple have been banned from keeping animals for the next three years after pleading guilty to docking the tail of their four-month-old rottweiler puppy.

Munir Akhtar, aged 34, and Razwan Hussain, aged 29, of Stone Street, Oldbury, appeared before Warley magistrates yesterday.

The pair admitted removing part of the dog’s tail for a purpose otherwise than for the animal’s medical treatment and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal by docking its tail, which fell off after it was wrapped in a tight rubber band.

The idea to use an elastic band to restrict the blood supply had been suggested by a fellow dog walker, the court was told.

The pair then noticed that the remaining part of Kaloo’s tail was inflamed and took the animal to a vet, and the RSPCA was in-formed.

Nick Sutton, prosecuting, said: “They deserve credit for entering their early guilty plea at the first possible opportunity.

“After an examination by the surgeon at the vets, there was bone and soft tissue showing which was extremely painful for the dog. But I must stress that there is no evidence of additional suffering to the dog or indeed any of their other animals including their eight chickens.”

Martin Thomas, defending, told the court that the pair did not know that the docking of the tail was illegal and had not intended to cause harm to the dog.

“This act was committed unwittingly. There is no evidence of any further harm to the dog or indeed the chickens, he said.

“They did not know they were breaking the law and causing pain to the dog. As soon as they realised the tail was inflamed they took the dog to the vets. That speaks volumes about their feeling for the dog and indeed some people would have had a different view and dissociated themselves from it.”

The pair were ordered to pay £280 each. They must also pay £250 each towards boarding costs incurred by the RSPCA for taking in the animal, along with £150 each for legal costs and a £15 victim surcharge each.