A court in Lancaster, England, sentenced a 29-year-old man to two years and nine months in prison for abusing an 11-week-old puppy, the BBC reports. The dog did not survive the torture. This is the longest prison sentence imposed under the Animal Welfare Act in the UK, according to an organization fighting for animal rights.
Dudley Payne, 29, of Penwortham, North West, was convicted of causing “appalling injuries” to Rocko, an 11-week-old American Bully puppy. England to two years and nine months in prison. He was also banned from owning animals for 15 years, the BBC reported. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), an organization dedicated to promoting animal welfare, it is the longest prison sentence ever handed down under the Animal Welfare Act.
Rocko, who belonged to the defendant for only six days, was taken to the vet on February 2, 2022. He died in the clinic. The animal suffered a serious head injury, liver rupture, hip fracture and eyeball loss. In addition, the puppy had cigarette burns and abrasions resembling scratches.
Vet on ‘worst autopsy report’
RSPCA inspector Emma Dingley read a statement during the hearing, which said the vet contacted the organization “immediately” after receiving the autopsy results. “He told me on the phone that it was the worst autopsy report he had ever read,” Dingley said. The vet himself confirmed during the hearing that Rocko’s injuries suggested “intentional bodily harm.” The defendant claimed they occurred after he performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation when the dog was having difficulty breathing, but the jury found him guilty of animal cruelty. “I will never be able to understand what happened to Rocko and why such a young animal was treated in such a cruel way,” Dingley said after the verdict was announced. As she noted, “the length of the prison sentence reflects the seriousness of this case.”
Great Britain two years ago, it introduced stricter penalties for the cruelest cases of animal abuse. From June 2021, the maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty has been increased from six months to five years – we read on the government website gov.uk. “The more stringent sentences will be among the harshest in Europe,” the statement emphasized.
Main photo source: BBC