A DOG owner convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to his pet has started an appeal against the decision.

Stephen Cooper was back in court yesterday in an attempt to have the conviction from earlier this year overturned.

Cooper was given a 12-month community rehabilitation order at Teesside Magistrates' Court in February after his doberman was discovered drastically underweight.

But the 37-year-old said the dog was being cared for by his sister-in-law at her home in Wimbledon Close, Darlington, at the time, in January 2002.

Cooper, of West Terrace, New Marske, east Cleveland, is likely to find out today if his appeal is successful.

His barrister cross-examined vet Michaela Wright yesterday and said her estimate that the dog should have weighed 45 to 50kgs was wildly excessive.

The dog weighed only 25kgs when it was rescued by RSPCA officers.

The RSPCA said Cooper's failure to get medical help for the dog prolonged its suffering. When interviewed, Cooper said he was an animal lover, that his other pets were well looked after and that he had called his sister-in-law every day to check on its welfare.

He said he moved the dog to Darlington while another of his pets was in season, but had planned to have it returned.

He said: "If I knew the dog was going to be mistreated, it would not stay there more than two minutes."

The case, at Teesside Crown Court, continues.