A dog-lover was given mercy at Magistrates' Court on Friday after he admitted stealing $11.50 worth of dog food from the Hamilton Marketplace.

Robert David Tuzo, 48, pleaded guilty to charges of theft after supermarket staff on July 9, at 12.10 p.m., observed him acting suspiciously in the pet food isle.

According to Crown counsel Takiyah Burgess, staff noticed him walking towards the exit doors "strangely", with a huge bulge in his shirt before leaving.

However, personnel managed to catch up with him outside, where they searched him and uncovered a yellow bag of pedigree dog food. He was detained until Police arrived. He told officers: "I know my rights and I only take the dog not the bone." In court, Tuzo, of no fixed abode, told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner: "I wasn't thinking, I made a mistake.

"My dog was hungry, I was going to pay them back though."

He said he had his dog for more than 13 years and cared deeply for it. It was also revealed he was in court the week before, where he admitted to possessing cannabis. Relating to the pet food theft, the Crown recommended that Tuzo be given a conditional discharge.

Mr. Warner agreed, handing down the discharge with the condition Tuzo not enter any Marketplace store for a 12-month period. And, Mr. Warner cautioned him to stay out of further trouble or else he ran the risk of having to "sell the dog" while he spends time in prison.