A FEMALE French bulldog who suffered neglect at the hands of a former Newport County AFC footballer is “recovering well and will be rehomed”.

Tinker Bell endured months of torment after her owner Cortez Belle failed to take her to a vet to treat a horrendous infection to her ears.

The 38-year-old was jailed for eight weeks at Newport Magistrates’ Court yesterday after he admitted an animal welfare offence.

Tinker Bell, who was being used to breed puppies that were being sold for £1,500 each, was taken into RSPCA’s care.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: “Tinker Bell is recovering well at an RSPCA animal centre and will be rehomed in due course.”

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Speaking after the case, RSPCA inspector Gemma Cooper, who investigated the case, said: “I’m very pleased that the court recognised the seriousness of Tinker Bell’s neglect.

South Wales Argus:

Cortez Belle

“Belle had every opportunity to seek veterinary treatment or help from various animal charities across South Wales, but he didn’t.

“His inaction resulted in Tinker Bell suffering for months and she is now permanently deaf as a result."

During Belle’s sentencing hearing, prosecutor Aled Watkins told the court how animal rescue officer Isobel Burston had visited the defendant’s home on August 11 following concerns about the dog.

He said: “She described smelling rotting flesh as soon as she walked into the property and seeing a tennis ball-sized growth tangling out of Tinker Bell’s left ear.”

Belle told the officer that he had taken his pet dog to see a vet about six to eight weeks previously but had been told she would need very expensive surgery.

He said he couldn’t afford the cost and that his ex-partner had cancelled the pet insurance following the breakdown of their relationship.

Tinker Bell was taken to a vet by the RSPCA later that day.

She was examined and found to be in a poor bodily condition, with her spine and ribs visible and a tucked appearance at the waist.

Mr Watkins added: “The vet who treated her said, ‘The growths looked polyp-like and these polyps had invaded both of her ear canals, leaving no obvious ear canal for hearing; at this point I imagine she is almost deaf.’

“On the left ear, attached to the inner ear polyp there was another mass, this was attached via a stalk.

“The mass was approximately 20 by 20 centimetres in size, cylindrical in shape and hanging from the ear polyp.

“This mass was grossly infected and ulcerated in places and was also weighing that side of her head down, causing a head tilt.”

“The vet said that the inner polyp masses would have taken at least three to six months to get to the size that they were, whilst the mass attached to the polyp on the left ear was so severe it could potentially have been growing for up to a year.”

Jamie Campbell, representing Belle, said in mitigation: “This was a family pet which the defendant loved and this was not done deliberately but it was neglect.

“He is disgusted with himself.”

Belle, a former defender, who also played for Chippenham Town, Merthyr Tydfil and Chester City, was banned from keeping animals for life.