DOG TRAINER GETS SUSPENDED JAIL FOR LEAVING DOGS TO DIE IN HOT CAR
On August 3, 2023, Claridge-Fleming left four dogs—two of his own and two owned by clients—inside the back of his Land Rover Discovery for approximately seven hours during a hot sunny day with temperatures reaching 23°C.He claimed that he had left the dogs in two crates with water and with the sides of the vehicle and the boot door slightly lowered to allow airflow, and was 'shocked' to find upon his return at around 4 pm that the boot had been maliciously closed by someone.
Inside the vehicle, six-month-old fox red Labrador Milo, cocker spaniel Bodger, and a cockapoo named Rocky had all died of heat exhaustion.
A fourth dog, also named Rocky—his own cocker spaniel—was still alive but had to be rushed to the vet and has subsequently died.
Claridge-Fleming expressed remorse, stating he was 'distraught' upon discovering the dogs' fate and claimed that it was not uncommon among gun dog owners to leave dogs in vehicles all day, though he admitted he had left them for a longer period than usual.
He stated he believed a member of the public maliciously closed his vehicle and reported this to the police.
The day after the incident, he texted Milo’s owner about the death of her dog and his own dog, and later admitted in court to having left the dogs in the car 'for about an hour' the day before.
The owner and authorities investigated, and the owner described the devastating impact of losing her pet due to heat in a victim statement, criticizing Claridge-Fleming for not being remorseful initially and for lying and being rude afterward.
The court sentenced Claridge-Fleming to 30 weeks in jail, suspended for 18 months, for his reckless and neglectful actions.
The judge emphasized that he had shown a shocking lack of care for the dogs, noting that dogs are highly vulnerable in hot vehicles and should never be left there, even if it is common among some gun dog enthusiasts.
Claridge-Fleming runs Gordleton Gundogs, a training school established in 2022, and has represented England at the international game fair working test as well as at Crufts in 2024.
The incident marked a tragic chapter in his career, with a prior feature in Gundog Journal praising his dog Rocky as his 'dog of a lifetime.'
