A 41-year-old man has been banned from keeping animals for five years after being convicted of abusing his father’s dog, Brandy, and attempting to force the young animal into a public recycling bin.
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Adam Lawford was convicted following an incident in April last year, when members of the public reportedly witnessed him beating the 11-month-old dog while walking along a street.
According to eyewitness accounts, Brandy tried to escape by running between parked cars, but Lawford caught him, shook him and struck his head against the pavement from a height.
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Witnesses later reported seeing the dog slumped over Lawford’s shoulder as though unconscious. He was subsequently seen picking Brandy up by his back legs and attempting to put him inside a recycling bin.
Passersby who tried to intervene were reportedly shouted at and was told to get back in their car while the frightened dog remained in distress.
Brandy was eventually rescued and taken to a veterinary clinic for examination. The veterinary assessment found mild abrasions on his chin and upper lip, moderate bruising to his abdomen, and wounds to his head and right ear.
The injuries were considered to be less than 24 hours old and likely to have been sustained during the incident.
RSPCA Inspector Jim Farr, who investigated the case, said Brandy was extremely frightened during his stay at the veterinary clinic, despite having what was described as a generally sweet temperament.
The veterinary report stated: “Although Brandy sustained minor physical injuries from his experience, he was not protected from suffering as defined by the Animal Welfare Act.
“He suffered both physical trauma evident in his injuries and mental trauma shown by his timidness in an otherwise sweet-natured dog.”
Lawford denied wrongdoing and maintained that witnesses had fabricated the accusations.
However, at Exeter Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, October 21, District Judge Smith described the incident as an appalling offence.
The judge said he was satisfied with the witness evidence and CCTV footage, despite Lawford rejecting the negative accounts of his actions.
Lawford was disqualified from keeping any animals for five years, with no appeal permitted for at least three years.
He was also handed a two-year community order, a probation requirement and an alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement lasting 120 days.
In addition, he was ordered to pay a £360 fine, £700 in costs and a £144 victim surcharge.
Brandy’s owner, who is Lawford’s father, later signed the dog over to the RSPCA. The animal has since been rehomed.
RSPCA Inspector Sarah Morris, who assisted with the case, said: “There is absolutely no excuse for treating any animal in this way.