TWO bad dog owners are today wanted on warrant after they failed to face justice for the way they treated their pets.

Brothers Charlie Roy Nelson, 27, and Robbie Jay Nelson, 23, claimed they couldn't attend York Magistrates Court because one of them had Covid and they live together.

Magistrates heard they didn't provide the court with any proof they were ill, such as a positive lateral flow test, and decided to go ahead with the case in their absence.

They heard the Nelson brothers’ pets were emaciated and living in poor conditions when police found them.

The dogs are currently in the care of the RSPCA.

Prosecuting for the animal charity, Phil Brown said Charlie Nelson had told the RSPCA at one point “he will simply go out and buy another dog”.

York magistrates convicted the two Nelsons in their absence of failing to take steps to ensure that their dogs were kept in the proper environment and to maintain them in a proper bodily condition.

Mr Brown told them that the offences can be punished with a jail term and the brothers could be made subject to a ban on keeping animals.

Defendants are not normally sent to prison or given an animal ban when they are not present.

Magistrates issued warrants for the brothers’ arrest.

Mr Brown said police went to Woodfield View, Harrogate, on March 18.

They found a lurcher type dog called Smudge and a mastiff type dog called Rocco.

"The two dogs were in an emaciated condition," he said and handed in pictures of conditions in the house. "There is ample evidence that the environment here was unsuitable for these two dogs."

There was no food or water available for the two dogs.

The RSPCA seized the dogs and took them to a vet who confirmed that they were in very poor condition.

She also gave her expert opinion they were being kept in inappropriate surroundings.

When he was interviewed by an RSPCA inspector, Robbie Nelson said he shared ownership of the two animals with his brother.

He lived at the house and his brother would attend the house from time to time.

When he was interviewed by the inspector, Charlie Nelson also accepted ownership and said that he visited the house infrequently.

He said he made arrangements for money to be available for food for the dogs.

At one point, he "appeared to suggest" that the police were responsible for the state of the house, said Mr Brown.

The brothers refused RSPCA requests to sign ownership of the dogs over to the RSPCA which would have allowed the animal charity to make arrangements for them to be found new owners and rehomed.