Watson, who is originally from North London, admitted causing one adult dog and eight puppies unnecessary suffering by failing to provide them with an adequate diet or veterinary care.
The animals were found to be significantly malnourished when they were rescued following a month of monitoring by the Scottish SPCA back in 2023.
Calls were received to the charity’s helpline after dogs were heard yelping from within the property. A Scottish SPCA Inspector attended in March 2023
Watson was given advice on a suitable feeding schedule for the dogs and advised to seek veterinary attention. The Inspector told Watson that they would return in a week to follow up but was unable to reach him despite repeated attempts
When Watson finally made contact, he left an abusive message with the Scottish SPCA helpline for the Inspector.
A warrant was executed by the Scottish SPCA and Police Scotland in April 2023 and the nine dogs were discovered in the bathtub with the shower running.
Prior to opening the door, Watson was seen wearing latex gloves and heard to be using a vacuum cleaner.
The dog cage in the living room contained one puppy pad which was heavily soiled with urine and faeces. No other bedding was provided.
The adult dog and her eight puppies, aged between just eight and nine weeks old, were taken for urgent veterinary examination.
The five-year-old crossbreed dog was categorised by a vet as emaciated with no visible body fat, bald patches and multiple bones visible. The vet concluded that mum and all of her litter were of an unacceptably low body condition score of just 1/9.
One puppy was suffering from such a significant underbite that his teeth were causing trauma to his lower palate. Others were found to have heart murmurs, an umbilical hernia and swollen abdomens.
The vet established that Watson had failed to provide an adequate diet for his pets and failed to seek veterinary care, despite being advised to do so by a Scottish SPCA Inspector.
Speaking after the court hearing, Scottish SPCA Inspector Fiona Thorburn said: “We are pleased with the outcome and the court’s decision.
“Keenan Watson failed to follow the advice that had been given to him and left an abusive message with the Scottish SPCA Helpline. He repeatedly failed to engage with the Scottish SPCA and was given the opportunity to seek vet advice or remedy his female dog’s poor body condition after our initial visit but instead continued to chronically underfeed his dogs.
“Issuing a ban on custody of animals is the only way to ensure this does not happen to any other animals.”
Sentenced to 90 hours of unpaid work, 13-week restriction of liberty order. Five-year ban from owning, keeping and controlling all animals (expires November 2030).
*we are advised via an anonymous source that Keenan Watson lives in either Inchcolm Pilton, or Ferry Road Drive, Edinburgh
The source also alleges the following:
“[Watson] is a known cr”ck and h”roin dealer in the area and already known by police and had multiple charges for dealing as well as this animal abuse and has never once been put in jail.
“People are saying he has police protection because it doesn’t make sense the amount of times he’s been caught dealing drugs and abusing animals as well as having multiple rape and domestic abuse against woman charges too.”