MAN WHO BEAT HIS PET DOG BANNED FROM KEEPING ANIMALS FOR LIFE
In June 2021, a man from Gloucestershire, Paul Fowler, was handed a lifetime ban from keeping animals after abusing his pet dog.The incident came to light when members of the public in Matson, Gloucester, reported seeing Fowler assaulting an English Bull Terrier on September 15.
Following the report, police confiscated the dog, and veterinary examinations revealed injuries believed to be caused by abuse.
Fowler, 40, of Matson in Gloucester, appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, June 1, where he pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
A police spokesperson commented, “There was lots of social media attention about the incident, so much so that a woman contacted us as she had seen Fowler beating his dog months earlier in Kings Walk.
In total, we had six witnesses to Fowler’s actions, and we hope that this conviction shows how we will not tolerate animal abuse here in Gloucestershire.” Along with the lifetime ban, Fowler received a two-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 12 months, along with conditions that he must adhere to.
The dog was rehomed during Christmas and is now under the care of a family experienced with dogs.
The county’s Police and Crime Plan emphasizes “a compassionate approach” to animal welfare, with the animal seized under the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act.
