CRUEL NORTHUMBERLAND PET OWNER IN COURT FOR KICKING 'SKINNY' DOG AFTER NEIGHBOURS HEAR 'SCREAMING AND YELPING'
A cruel pet owner left his "skinny" pet bulldog 'cowering' in fear after he kicked it for pooing on his kitchen floor.Police attended Jonathan Dixon's address after neighbours reported hearing a dog "screaming and yelping" but he initially closed the door in their faces.
However, after being persuaded to allow them in, officers found his pet Mabel, who was "skinny and had her ribs protruding" and also had scratches on her face, a court was told.
Whilst the constables were inside his address, Dixon admitted that he'd kicked Mabel, who cowered every time a constable went near her, because she'd "pooed on the kitchen floor", prosecutors said.
The 43-year-old's admission landed him at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to one count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Prosecutor, Jade Houston, said police attended Dixon's address on October 18 this year.
Miss Houston continued: "They attended following reports of a dog screaming and yelping within the property.
This defendant opened the door with a small bulldog behind him.
The officers said they needed to conduct an animal welfare check and the defendant shut the door in their faces." "The defendant was told that the officers would be able to enter the property anyway and he did then let them in.
Inside was a bulldog called Mabel, who was skinny with ribs protruding." "The defendant said he had kicked her due to her pooing on the kitchen floor and she had scratches on her head.
When officers tried to get close to her, she ducked and cowered away." The court heard that Mabel was seized and Dixon, of Chirnside, in Cramlington, was arrested.
Nigel Hedley, defending, said Dixon had pleaded guilty and was in fulltime employment, earning £2,200 a month.
Mr Hedley added: "The dog has been taken away from him, so he no longer has it.
He only had it in the first place because a friend of his could no longer look after it, so he took it.
The situation manifested itself to where we are today." Magistrates fined Dixon £846 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £338 victim surcharge.
He was also banned from keeping dogs for five years.
