MAN BANNED FROM KEEPING DOGS AFTER BEING CAUGHT ON CAMERA SLAPPING PUPPY
A man has received a five-year ban from owning dogs after footage captured him beating his seven-month-old puppy, Lazarus, on a mobile phone.Christopher Smith, from Rutland Place in Consett, stated he was intoxicated when he inflicted a five-minute assault on his pocket bully.
The incident showed Lazarus cowering and attempting to pull away from the attacker.
The 32-year-old was prosecuted by the RSPCA after the organization received distressing footage from the public, which led to his charging.
Smith admitted to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, and on 13 September, he appeared before Teesside Magistrates’ Court.
He was sentenced to a five-year ban on keeping animals, a 12-month community order, and fined £80.
Court footage depicted Smith holding Lazarus on a lead at an unspecified location in Consett, County Durham, between trees.
Lazarus was seen trying to escape and cowering before Smith raised his arms and struck the dog forcefully on the back and shoulders with an unknown object.
A loud slapping noise can be heard during the footage.
RSPCA officers visited Smith's home on 4 April and confirmed he was the individual in the video with Lazarus.
The inspector took Lazarus to a veterinarian for an examination but he refused to voluntarily transfer custody of the dog to the RSPCA.
The vet concluded Lazarus was harmed during the incident, leading police to seize him under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Lazarus required three days of pain relief but did not sustain long-term injuries.
Smith will be barred from appealing his disqualification order for a period of two years.
