Callous Adelaide dad and his glamorous daughter put their adorable pet poodles through deadly hell

WARNING: Details of animal cruelty

A father and his daughter have been given suspended prison sentences after their callous neglect of two poodles killed one and left the other horribly injured.

Glenn Morgan, 64, and his 28-year-old daughter, Kristina, from Davoren Park, Adelaide’s north, faced the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The pair were convicted of assaulting an animal and causing death or serious injury.

RSPCA South Australia was first alerted by a veterinary clinic on July 21, 2023, after treating a five-year-old toy poodle named Dexter with “extreme signs of neglect.”

The dog was in so much pain that it had to be anesthetized to undergo an examination. This revealed that the animal’s fur had matted fur that was strangling all four legs.

One of his front legs was ‘cut to the bone’ by the tangled fur, while most of his teeth had also fallen out and he had a hernia in his stomach.

“The prognosis for the dog was so poor that euthanasia was the only humane option,” a spokesperson for the RSPCA South Australia said.

Inspectors and police found a 12-year-old poodle named Teddy at the family home in a similarly desperate condition.

Teddy had also lost most of his teeth and had pus oozing from his ears, which Mr Morgan said had been going on for at least two months.

Inspectors said Teddy also had a poorly matted coat, struggled to stand upright and constantly shook his head in pain due to the severe ear infection.

Mr Morgan agreed to hand Teddy over to inspectors so he could be examined by an RSPCA vet.

Teddy was found to have ‘gaps between his nose and mouth where the upper canines had been’, which required urgent surgery to close.

“Underneath his flea-infested, dreadlocked coat, Teddy was also underweight and found to have untreated heart disease,” RSPCA SA said.

But extensive treatment and months of recovery in foster care allowed Teddy to recover and was finally adopted in July.

Morgan’s father and daughter were both sentenced to three months and 15 days behind bars, conditional on a two-year good behavior bond.

They are also banned from owning any animals ‘until further notice’, with the exception of two cats and a parrot owned by a family member in the same house.

The two toy poodles, Teddy (pictured, now in foster care) and Dexter, were found with matted coats and had lost several teeth after a long time without care from either owner.

The daughter and father (pictured) were sentenced to three months and 15 days behind bars, suspended on two-year good behavior bonds

Magistrate Lana Chester criticized the pair during sentencing, saying the offenses had been made even more serious by Dexter’s death.

She added that the dying dog’s deteriorating condition would have lasted a significant amount of time without any intervention from any of the owners.

“Dexter would have suffered significant pain,” Magistrate Chester told the court.

‘Animals are defenseless, vulnerable creatures who are completely dependent on their people for food, shelter and care.’

RSPCA SA Chief Inspector Andrew Baker said the owners showed an “extremely disturbing” inability to recognize the basic needs of both dogs.

“No one washed them, no one cared for them, no one seemed even aware of the suffering that was happening right in front of them,” he said in a statement.

‘We urge people not to purchase an animal without first understanding the time and money required to maintain their health and overall well-being.’