CONVICTED (2024) | Carlton James Chesney-Mitchell, born 13 September 2002, of Greenbrow Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester M23 2FT – caught on CCTV beating his dog.
Vicious Carlton Chesney-Mitchell was convicted of animal cruelty in relation to a Belgian Malinois called Anne by inflicting physical abuse on her.
The RSPCA were alerted to footage of the incident which had been posted on Facebook. It showed a man kicking and throwing a medium-sized brown dog in June last year.
Aside from physical pain, the RSPCA said Annie may suffer life-long psychological damage as a consequence of her previous owner’s violence towards her
The video shows a male in dark trousers, a blue hoodie and a black balaclava cycling towards an open garden from a field. He then throws the bike down and can be heard shouting “come here”. A dog comes into the footage before it is kicked in the face. The man then entices the dog back and kicks her again.
The man, later identified to be Chesney-Mitchell, is then heard saying: “Stop pissing me off and fucking running off, stop it” before striking Annie twice with his right hand and grabbing her by the neck with both hands and throwing her in the air. Annie can then be seen spun in mid-air before landing on her feet and running out onto the field. The male can be heard stating “Fucking piece of shit”, as he mounts his bicycle and cycles off.
Inspector Deborah Beats, who investigated, said Annie thankfully wasn’t physically injured:
Deborah said: “I reached out to those on social media who had information on this video and after a false start, I was able to speak to a member of the public who informed me the dog and the owner were at their house.
“I met Chesney-Mitchell at the member of the public’s address along with his two year old Belgian Malinois Annie. After interviewing the owner, I took Annie to be checked over by a vet where thankfully it was found that she didn’t have any injuries.”
Original post with video shared to Facebook by a concerned resident
The court heard how a vet report stated that Annie was very nervous on examination. It found that Annie would have suffered physically momentarily during the kicking, throwing and hitting episodes captured in the footage, however, the emotional impact may have a life-long effect.
The report continued: “This is shown with Annie’s fear behaviours such as cowering away from the person in the video before the second kick and cowering when her head was approached for examination. These fear behaviours along with being constantly shouted at would have caused her mental suffering.
“It is likely Annie will have been in pain for several days after this incident and will have suffered at the very least mild soft tissue injuries. This will have caused discomfort when trying to walk and display normal behaviours such as playing.
“In the video presented I can identify that the person of interest inflicts harm on Annie on at least five occasions in the form of kicking, hitting and throwing.
“They caused unnecessary suffering on multiple accounts by inflicting pain on Annie. There was no reasonable explanation for the outbursts on her visible within the video footage, as Annie was not inflicting harm on the person in question or anyone else.”
A deprivation order was imposed for Annie meaning she can now be rehomed by the RSPCA.
Deborah added: “This was a shocking and completely unnecessary attack on this poor dog. I’m glad this case has concluded and Annie can now find the loving forever home she deserves.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work; £200 in costs and a £114 victim surcharge. TWO-year ban on keeping dogs (expires March 2026).
CONVICTED (2024) | Colin Birch, born c 1956, of Auden Close, Clayton, Manchester M11 4WD – for the mistreatment of several reptiles.
Birch was found guilty in his absence of two offences. The first – which took place in February 2022 – involved the neglect of three iguanas and a spiny-tailed lizard; while the other involved the neglect of five further iguanas in June 2022.
The RSPCA first visited Birch’s flat in February 2022 after concerns were raised about the welfare of ‘lizards’ in the property.
The RSPCA officer – accompanied by police – entered the property and found three iguanas and a lizard being kept in very worrying conditions.
One of the iguanas was roaming free around the dangerously cluttered and overheated flat and another two iguanas plus a spiny-tailed lizard were crammed into a very small fish tank with only rotten or dried up food.
There was no source of UV (crucial to the health of iguanas), no temperature controls and no thermometer.
Given these conditions, the police seized all four reptiles and after being checked by a vet, the RSPCA organised for them to be cared for at a specialist boarding establishment.
In June 2022, the RSPCA was called back to the same property – now unoccupied – to check on five more iguanas who had been left alone to fend for themselves in the flat.
This time, two very young iguanas were found in a pet carrier, one adult was found in a fish tank with no access to drinking water, and two were found roaming loose in the hazardous flat.
Again, the animals had no access to UV or appropriate food or water.
These additional five iguanas were also taken away to be safely cared for in a specialist boarding establishment.
A specialist in exotic pets was provided with photographs from both incidents and stated that the property was full of potential dangers, and the tanks were not not the right size to provide an appropriate environment for these types of animals.
From the February incident, there were too many animals in one tank. In addition, the temperature and humidity required for the reptiles’ needs would not have been met.
RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer, Dan Tomlinson said: “Pet reptiles rely on their owners to provide an environment in which their welfare needs are met, which sadly didn’t happen in this case, even after detailed advice was offered to the defendant.
“The needs of exotics can be challenging to meet by members of the public because the pet animals’ needs are just the same as they would be if they lived in the wild and require conditions that can be difficult to replicate in a home.
“The RSPCA advises that prospective owners of exotic pets should thoroughly research the needs of the particular species and what is required in the care of the animal, using expert sources, and only consider keeping one if they can ensure they are fully able to provide for these needs.”
He added: “Every year, my colleagues and I are called out to rescue many hundreds of exotic pets which have been neglected or abandoned. These are wild animals and meeting their needs in captivity can be incredibly challenging. We believe that people may buy exotic pets with little idea of how difficult they can be to keep. They often end up in our care after people realise they’re not easy to care for, or once the novelty wears off and the commitment hits home.”
Exotic pet owners need to make sure they can give their animal the environment it needs and that they have the facilities, time, financial means and long-term commitment to maintain a good standard of care, as required under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Sentencing | nine-month community order with 15 days of rehabilitation activity; fine of £100 and a victim surcharge of £95. Banned from owning animals for five years (expires February 2029).
CONVICTED (2023) | Frank Rogers, born 1 December 1955, of 276 Queens Road, Monsall, Manchester M40 8JW – failed to get vet treatment for a dog found bald, unable to walk and riddled with infections.
Frank Rogers’ dog Buster had been left to suffer for many weeks and was put to sleep for humane reasons
Rogers was prosecuted after RSPCA officers found his terrier cross Buster in ‘very poor condition’. The court heard the dog was suffering with chronic skin disease, which had left him almost bald of fur, ingrown nails that were so bad he was unable to walk, and ear disease.
Rogers said Buster was ‘okay’ when he got him from a friend a year earlier and that he had only just lost his fur.
He pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006..
RSPCA animal rescue officer (ARO) Helen Chapman went to Rogers’ home on April 14, 2023, to investigate a report of concern about a ‘bald dog’ at the property.
In a statement to the court, the officer said: “The dog was laying on its side on a chair, covered over with a blanket apart from his head and he made no attempt to move. I could see Buster was in very poor condition, with bald, dry pink skin.”
Rogers agreed to let the animal rescue officer take Buster to the RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital. Sadly, he was in such poor health that in a vet’s expert opinion the kindest course of action to end his suffering was to put him to sleep.
The vet who examined the dog found he was suffering from infections in both ear canals, overgrown nails and alopecia which had caused extensive irritation. Buster was also underweight with a low body condition score of two out of nine.
The vet stated that given the severity of Buster’s condition, he would have been suffering for many weeks and likely longer.
“His overgrown nails will have been a source of pain,” she said.
“Secondary changes such as lichenification of the skin and stenosis of the ears indicated the skin and ear disease was chronic in nature. The ear infections too will have caused discomfort and would have made it difficult for him to settle. He was shaking his head and getting no relief,” said the vet.
Sentencing | 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work; costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £114. A 10-year ban on owning animals.
CONVICTED (2023) | Paul James Roberts, aka Paul Wood or Paul Bennett, born c. 1981, of Broadoak Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester – starved his loyal family dog to death over several weeks.
Roberts, who runs a hard landscaping business called Revolution Custom Landscapes, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, namely that he failed to ensure the eight-year-old dog, Delboy, was provided with adequate nutrition and failed to investigate and address his poor condition and weight loss.
Tragic dog Delboy before his owner decided to starve him to deathDelboy was a much-loved family pet
Roberts was prosecuted by the RSPCA after Delboy was taken dead to a veterinary practice on February 22, 2022. He weighed just 27.1 pounds and pictures (not published in the source article, the Manchester Evening News, due to their upsetting nature) show his emaciated condition that a post-mortem examination concluded was due to starvation.
Roberts had owned Delboy since he was a puppy
The RSPCA said the court heard how Delboy was collected alive from Roberts’ home on 21 February by someone who knew the defendant after it was reported the dog had ‘been starved and wasn’t in a good state’. He died overnight before he could be seen by a vet.
An investigation was then launched by the RSPCA. One vet said in evidence: “Delboy’s physical condition on presentation was emotionally distressing and upset a number of staff members.”
Speaking after the case, the RSPCA said: “The images of Delboy are so distressing and it is clear from them he had been woefully neglected for some considerable time.
“We would urge anyone who is struggling to look after their pets to seek appropriate help and advice in a timely manner. It is totally unacceptable to allow pets to deteriorate into the appalling condition that Delboy was found in.”
Sentencing | 21-month custodial, suspended for two years; four-month curfew. Disqualified from keeping any animal as a pet for 10 years (expires November 2033).
Paul Wood is active on TikTok, where he uploads videos promoting his hard landscaping business and others showing zany miming and dancing performances. His usernames are goofystyle1 and revolutioncustom (the latter account is currently deactivated).
Wood’s apparently successful business, which he promotes as ‘Revolution Custom Landscapes Ltd’ (there is no trace of this ‘company’ on Companies House), offers flagging, fencing, blockpaving, turfing, pressure cleaning and regrouting.
CONVICTED (2023) | Tameesha Ewing, born 29 November 1998, of 19 Bushmoor Walk, Ardwick, Manchester M13 9GS – abandoned two bulldogs and a tortoise in a filthy house strewn with rubbish
The RSPCA was called to Ewing’s home on August 4, 2022, after concerns were raised about the welfare of the dogs – a grey brindle female bulldog, and a dark brindle male bulldog, known as Rolex and Romeo.
The RSPCA saved Tameesha Ewing’s pets from a slow painful death after she abandoned them
In a witness statement RSPCA inspector Deborah Beats described the conditions in which the bulldogs were being kept.
She said: “There were faeces all over the floors of every room that was available to the dogs and the rooms were full of hazards such as bottles of bleach, rubbish, broken furniture and doors, and sharp objects scattered around the flat.
“There was no clean resting area for the dogs as the sofas were covered in faeces and there were no dog beds available. No food was available, there were empty bowls scattered around the flat and evidence of torn up bags of dry dog food.
“They were unable to exhibit their normal behaviour as they were prevented from accessing the garden for four days, and were also prevented from exercising and had no mental stimulation.”
During the inspection Ms Beats also discovered a tortoise, known as Ninja, being kept in a ‘filthy malodorous tank’.
The inspector added: “The environment for the tortoise was also unsuitable as he was in a filthy tank with a lid that smelt mouldy and stale when lifted. There was a screwdriver inside which was a hazard and there was no heat lamp.
“The water was thick and murky and he had nothing edible or anything of any nutritional value inside at all and no evidence of any remnants. There was no deep bedding material for him to sleep and no clean water allowing him to bathe.”
The animals were signed over to the care of the RSPCA, and have since been found new homes.
Ewing pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act at Manchester magistrates’ court.
Sentencing her District Judge Thomas Mitchell said: “The defendant’s personal difficulties do not excuse abandoning animals who would certainly have died if RSPCA had not intervened.”
Sentencing | 12 month community order, six-month alcohol treatment order; fined £386 with £114 costs. THREE-year ban applicable to all animals (expires August 2026).
CONVICTED (2023) | puppy and kitten farmer Daanyaal Chowdhury, born 29 April 1993, a serial animal abuser of 24 Meldon Road, Longsight, Manchester M13 0TT but with links to east London and Chadwell St Mary, Grays, Essex – kept dozens of starving animals in inhumane conditions.
Daanyaal Chowdhury admitted causing unnecessary suffering to dozens of cats and dogs at his Perthshire farm.
In a shocking case involving the “widespread and indiscriminate neglect” of dozens of cats and dogs on a breeding facility in rural Perthshire, Daanyaal Chowdhury was convicted of multiple animal cruelty offences but only received a community sentence.
Footage showing grim and inhumane conditions on Daanyaal Chowdhury’s “chaotic and hazardous” puppy farm
Chowdhury’s company K9 Cube Limited provided animals to work in security and as sniffer dogs and had used South Cairnies Farm Cottage, Glenalmond, Perth PH1 3RY as a hub for a large-scale breeding operation.
German shepherd Sophie – also known as Stacy – had chronic skin disease, wounds between her toes, hair loss and overgrown nails
Some 32 dogs, including multiple German Shepherds, were found living in their own waste in homemade kennels, starving and with no water, along with 17 kittens and 16 cats
The alarm was raised after Chowdhury sent a diseased German Shepherd pup named Sophie to the vets.
Animal welfare officers found more than 60 cats and dogs living in extreme squalor at South Cairnies Farm Cottage, which is around 12 miles from Perth city centre
The Scottish SPCA were called in and a warrant was obtained to search the premises on October 28, 2020.
Inspectors found South Cairnies Farm Cottage to be ‘chaotic and hazardous’ with homemade kennels and various broken items scattered about.
Inspectors descended on the dilapidated site after local vets raised the alarm
An initial search found groups of puppies and kittens within three rooms of the cottage. No food or water was evident, the rooms were wet and dirty, as were the puppies and there was an extremely strong smell of faeces and urine.
Some of the dogs were living in outdoor kennels without natural light or flooring, while others had been completely exposed to the wind and rain
The homemade kennels at the rear of the property housed a number of large breed dogs. The kennels, where they had shelter, were not watertight. They all were filthy and strewn with urine and faeces; most had no water or bedding.
homemade kennels housed a number of large breed dogs
Some of the dogs were living in outdoor kennels without natural light or flooring, while others had been completely exposed to the wind and rain.
The cats were kept in a separate building. Again, the living areas were dirty and covered in faeces and there was no water. The plyboard walls and roof of the structure were wet and mouldy.
The accommodation for the cats was equally poor. No water had been provided and the plyboard walls and roof were wet and mouldy
A veterinary witness examined 32 dogs, 17 kittens and 16 cats at the property. They found multiple dermatological, respiratory, ophthalmic, and ear related diseases.
A Bengal cat called Bella, who had eye conditions, respiratory problems and neurological disease including severe ataxia had to be euthanised on welfare grounds.
A court hearing in October 2021 in relation to a Scottish SPCA civil case against Chowdhury’s firm K9 Cube heard that one dog required to be put to sleep, six suffered hip dysplasia, seven puppies had dermatitis, four had inflamed ears, six had dental disease or fractures, and the cats were suffering from conjunctivitis and ear mite infestation.
Young puppies were living in extreme squalor, with no food or water.
Of 49 puppies born from the dogs seized, eight passed away shortly after birth, one was put to sleep with a neurological condition and seven were born with congenital deformity and either passed away or were put to sleep as a result of their condition.
In court on May 25, 2023, Chowdhury admitted three animal welfare offences. These were that as the person responsible for animals, by act or omission he caused them unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate care or treatment and failing to get veterinary advice or treatment for health conditions.
Between April 20 and October 28 2020, he failed to treat:
A black and tan German Shepherd called Sophie, found with a chronic skin disease and wounds between her toes;
Dolly, a female Spanish Mastiff-type dog which had dermatitis, eczema, an infected wound, hair loss and a matted coat;
Dogs Sky, Lexi and Kilo which suffered orthopaedic conditions including degrees of dysplasia;
Dogs Kilo, Nancy, Coco, Roxy and Diago, all suffering from dental diseases such as fractured teeth.
Neglected cats kept in homemade cages
He further pleaded guilty to causing suffering to 15 cats – including one which later died – which had ear mite infestations and conjunctivitis.
Chowdhury also admitted he failed to provide suitable accommodation for all 33 dogs, 17 puppies and 16 cats.
The homemade kennels had no natural or artificial light, and most had no bedding or shelter from the elements
The court heard the animals were exposed to waste, loose and exposed electrical cables and garden debris hazards.
They did not have adequate resting areas, dry bedding or proper shelter from the elements.
He further failed to provide some of the animals with adequate ventilation, light, hydration and nutrition.
The vast majority of animals seized were female, and many were pregnant
Chowdhury originally denied all charges, blaming a man who was employed to manage the site on his behalf.
He changed his plea to guilty on the morning of his trial, after accepting ultimate responsibility for the animals’ welfare.
He was ordered to complete 90 hours of unpaid work and will be subject to a one-year supervision order. He was banned from keeping animals for just five years.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland said he had decided against imposing a custodial sentence, after hearing that Chowdhury had lost his livelihood with K9 Cube now bankrupt and owing creditors some £360,000.
Source: The Courier
Following the hearing, bitter Chowdhury complained to court reporters that he had been treated “like a drug dealer” by police.
He said: “I wasn’t based at the farm. Because of Covid, I couldn’t travel and our business went to zero. All of our dogs were kennelled.
“I spent hundreds of thousands of pounds there, but we had six members of staff who weren’t doing their jobs correctly.
“Unfortunately, the charges were only brought against me, on the day I wasn’t there.
“I feel that has been a miscarriage of justice because why were the people there not charged?”
Chowdhury said the business had operated out of the site for three years previously, with no issues.
The Scottish SPCA slammed the sentence, however, with inspector Katherine Aitchison saying: “We are extremely disappointed at this lenient sentencing, considering the appalling conditions these animals were kept in.
Following the October 2020 raid on Chowdhury’s farm the Scottish SPCA launched an urgent appeal for donations to provide care and rehabilitation services for the rescued animals
“The dogs and cats in his care clearly suffered and a harsher sentence should have been given.”
She added: “Chowdhury has undoubtedly shown that he was not able to provide his animals with the care they needed, and we would have hoped this to be reflected in a ban on owning or keeping animals.”
Dogs were crammed into filthy makeshift kennels
Helen Nisbet, Procurator Fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: “This was a case of widespread and indiscriminate neglect where cats, dogs and puppies were caused unnecessary suffering.
“This suffering was entirely preventable and could have been avoided by proper management and timely veterinary involvement.
“Instead, Daanyaal Chowdhury failed to provide the animals he was responsible for with an adequate environment and kept them in terrible, inhumane conditions. He failed to provide proper care and treatment and protect them from disease.
“I would like to thank the Scottish SPCA and Police Scotland for their part in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.
“The Procurator Fiscal will continue to hold to account those who would commit such crimes and we would urge anyone with information of animal neglect to contact the police or the Scottish SPCA.”
Most of the animals were rehomed by the SSPCA following its successful civil case against Chowdhury’s company in October 2021. The charity was granted permission to move on “or otherwise dispose of” the surviving animals after the court heard that its bills for the seizure and temporary accommodation for the animals was rapidly approaching £100,000.
K9 Cube Ltd – which claimed to have been adversely affected by the Covid lockdown – sought to have the animals returned as they were “integral assets” to the company.
K9 Cube Ltd was also find liable for the expenses of the court proceedings.
Sentencing | 12-month supervision order; 90 hours of unpaid work. Five-year ban on owning, keeping or dealing in animals (expires May 2028).
“It was all just horrific” | former workers describe the atrocities they witnessed at Daanyaal Chowdhury’s breeding hub
In various interviews with the media, former employees of Daanyaal Chowdhury laid bare the shocking conditions dozens of dogs and cats were subjected to on his farm.
Speaking to local newspaper The Courier (see also here), Tiegan Walker said she cried and quit on her first day after seeing the “horrific” conditions animals were living in.
Source: The Courier
Tiegan responded to an advert posted on Gumtree for an “in house dog and cat carer and cleaner” offering £1,000 a month to live on the site.
The advert stated the owners bred German Shepherds.
The qualified animal care worker was left in tears after witnessing the “horrible” conditions the animals were being kept in and reported the owner to the authorities.
Tiegan said she had seen blind kittens walking in circles, a German Shepherd and her puppies forced to live in a cramped cupboard and a host of overbred females.
Chowdhury told Tiegan that at the height of business, before lockdown, he had around 125 animals living on the property.
She said: “I wasn’t allowed out the back because the dogs were too aggressive, but from what I could see there was around 10 but there must have been more because they were so noisy.
“Inside they must have had three litters of puppies plus their mums and then they had litters of kittens – about 20 of them.
“They were Bengal cats and they were kept in horrific conditions.”
She said the younger kittens were inside but the older cats were forced outside into kennels despite horrible weather conditions.
Tiegan added: “There were Akita puppies and I don’t even know where the mum was.
“They told me the Akita had killed her own puppies so they had taken them away and given them to the German Shepherd.
“It was all just horrific. They had the big German Shepherd, it was such a lovely dog, in a cupboard with the puppies.
“There was nowhere for her to move and there was no water for her.
“She was such a happy dog and for them to (do) that was just cruel.”
Tiegan said she also witnessed puppies living in the bathroom of the house and believes dogs were being allowed to mix-breed purely to create more puppies.
She said: “It’s just disgusting. I just don’t know how someone can do that.
“He told me that before I arrived there had been a litter of puppies who had all died from a disease.
“I just couldn’t believe it. I cried. It’s so sad.”
A second person, who wished to remain anonymous, spent less than half a day working at the property before fleeing in horror and alerting the authorities.
They said: “(I) was shown into a dirty house and asked to clean out a room with approximately eight German Shepherd puppies in it.
“It was covered in faeces and urine, and the puppies were wet and cold and (had) no food or water – until I took them some.
“No adult dogs were with them. There were three rooms like this then an outdoor kennels.
“These kennels were again dirty with no beds, food, water or any heating, there were two dogs to each kennel and were numbered rather than named.
“There were also a large number of dogs in a field that appeared older. These all weren’t German Shepherds.
“Some of the puppies did not seem in great health, some were missing eyes and limbs.”
He stayed at the cottage in Glenalmond for many months and claims he was not paid. With no money and living in a rural location he was unfamiliar with, the worker said he felt stuck in the situation.
He also claimed to have buried many puppies that did not survive.
“A lot of puppies died,” he said.
“I buried a lot of puppies myself, dogs too.
“Because when you are alone, and I am not a vet, sometimes you don’t notice but some of them got sick and they died.
“A lot of puppies died because it was cold. I didn’t really know how to take care of puppies.”
He also believes the female dogs suffered from overbreeding which caused problems with their litters.
A local from the area said he reported the property to the Scottish SPCA around 18 months earlier.
“You can hear the dogs non-stop,” he said.
“At that time they were being kept in polytunnels, in cages, in intense heat.
“All the dogs were kept out the back but if someone came to look at a dog they would take them to the front.
“They had far too many dogs. If anyone went near the place they would all just set off.
“This has been going on for 18 months. I was one of the first people to contact the SSPCA and at that time there were about 30 dogs.”
The local added that during lockdown the property was being visited frequently by people buying puppies.
Scottish SPCA and Perth and Kinross Council under fire after 18 months of complaints about Chowdhury’s puppy farm
In late December 2020, The Courier published an in-depth article on the case and highlighted the apparent failings of the authorities to take action against Daanyaal Chowdhury at a much earlier stage.
Investigative journalists Sean O’Neil and Blair Dingwall reported they had seen letters from Karen Reid, chief executive of Perth and Kinross Council and Scottish SPCA boss Kirsteen Campbell where they admit that their respective officers had visited Chowdhury’s establishment in June 2019.
The documents stated both council officers and Scottish SPCA officers were happy with the way the dogs were being kept but noted some animals were currently housed in “temporary shelters”.
Ms Reid claimed in her letter, dated October 8, 2019, that “there is no evidence to suggest that a dog breeding licence is currently required”.
However in the same letter the chief executive stated: “(The animal welfare officer) considers the levels of noise from the establishment as typical from a dog breeding environment.”
It confirmed the local authority had received two complaints from different people regarding the property and an investigation was being carried out.
It said neglect allegations were “unsubstantiated” – but that officers would continue to visit the property over complaints alleging “animal cruelty, neglect and activities associated with puppy farming”.
Scottish SPCA chief executive Kirsteen Campbell stated in her letter, dated September 23 2019, that officers had viewed “several dogs” during a June 2019 visit which were being kept in “an adequate temporary shelter” while a permanent shelter was being built.
During a follow-up visit in July 2019, officers were “comfortable improvements had been made and were reassured the owner was keen to continue to make these”.
Ms Campbell wrote: “We can only act on the evidence we see and gather whilst investigating at the time.
“On every occasion we’ve visited, the owner has been fully cooperative and all advice regarding welfare and living conditions has been followed.”
The animal welfare charity refused to say if owners were given advance warning of visits by animal welfare officers.
Numerous locals hit out at the authorities’ responses and questioned why the raid took so long to take place.
Speaking in late December 2020 one resident said: “The whole thing has been going on for 18 months and we have been trying to get answers for 18 months.
“It’s a complete whitewash. The whole thing was brushed under the carpet.
“Why did all these dogs and puppies have to suffer for 18 months because of inaction by the SSPCA and animal welfare? Why? It is appalling.”
Another told The Courier: “I have never been so disgusted with the lack of acknowledgement and intervention from the very authorities which are there to help animals and law abiding citizens live in a safe, clean and peaceful environment.”
One local asked: “Why did all these dogs and puppies have to suffer for 18 months?” due to apparent inaction by the authorities
The individual claimed the Scottish SPCA and council were alerted at least 16 months earlier when dogs were being kept in “cages, boxes, boots of cars, vans and in chains”.
Another person from the area said: “At that time they were being kept in polytunnels, in cages, in intense heat.
“All the dogs were kept out the back but if someone came to look at a dog they would take them to the front.
“They had far too many dogs. If anyone went near the place they would all just set off.
“This has been going on for 18 months. I was one of the first people to contact the SSPCA and at that time there were about 30 dogs.”
Another local said he was not surprised by the lack of action in a case that had frustrated and horrified nearby residents for the past 18 months.
He said: “It doesn’t surprise me whatsoever.
“I wasn’t there when the raid happened but they had plenty of time to arrest him, people reported when he was in the cottage. Surely someone should have been arrested.
“In the early days there was 15 or so people staying there. I couldn’t say if the cottage was ever empty but there was always cars going up and down.”
The resident told the Courier he couldn’t understand the lack of information available to locals from the Scottish SPCA.
He said: “We still can’t get our head around that no-one will give us any answers.
“How many puppies were sold down there? It must have been hundreds. It’s very hard to describe when puppies are yelping and you know they’re being hit. It’s so upsetting to hear.”
Perth and Kinross Council defended the length of time taken to investigate, while the Scottish SPCA insisted it would not comment on what was an ongoing case at the time.
A council spokesman said: “Perth and Kinross Council takes animal cruelty or neglect extremely seriously and we thoroughly investigate all allegations regarding the mistreatment of animals we receive.
“Our animal welfare officers were involved in a joint investigation with the SSPCA and Police Scotland into allegations of commercial breeding in rural Perthshire that resulted in last month’s raid.”
A long history of animal abuse? Previous allegations against Daanyaal Chowdhury
Before moving to his current address in Longsight, Manchester, Daanyaal Chowdhury lived at 49 Lea Road, Chadwell St Mary, Grays RM16 4DD with relative Abdullah Mahmood-Al Hassan Chowdhury. On April 21, 2019 a local animal lover took to Facebook to raise concerns about the welfare of two German shepherd-type dogs kept at the property. The woman alleged that the dogs were not only starved, but also beaten.
Her post included a photograph she had taken of Daanyaal Chowdhury and an image of his logo for K9 Cube.
Another Facebook user then uploaded a video which they’d taken from Chowdhury’s Instagram profile under username life_explore007 (now defunct) which showed him laughing as he poured champagne over a litter of young puppies in a bathtub.
Chowdhury also shared this image to his Instagram account showing some of his security dogs on a site, with their living conditions looking far from ideal:
The original post was shared across multiple animal groups, causing outrage.
One man decided to take matters into his own hands and pay Chowdhury’s premises a visit. He was horrified by what he found:
Feeling the pressure after the original post went viral, Chowdhury, described by one Facebook user as a wannabe gangster who had allegedly bragged about facing an attempted murder charge, removed all traces of his personal and company profiles from social media.
Pressure group campaign poster
The authorities also took action, but not on animal welfare grounds. Instead in July 2019 it was reported that the co-occupant of 49 Lea Road, Abdullah Al-Hassan Chowdhury, i.e. Daanyaal Chowdhury’s relative, had been fined around £12,000 by Thurrock Council for failing to comply with a noise abatement notice. The court heard that he had been keeping up to 20 dogs including Dobermans, Alsatians, Rottweilers and large crossbreeds at his home. and that they were being raised to work in the owner’s “security business”.
One neighbour told the local newspaper: “[The dogs] were living in what I can only describe as purgatory.
“No proper kennels, no decent food, no exercise or play.
“Often leaving these dogs shut up in make-do ‘kennels’ for days on end. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
“We were told by people living nearer to this house how the dog mess was never cleared, and the yard was never washed down. The number grew until there were 21.
“Some would be taken to work at night and the others would be left outside, often in bad weather.
“I witnessed the dogs being kicked, kneed and hit with sticks.”
The final straw for many residents was when they witnessed two of the dogs fighting in early June 2021, with neighbours forced to spray a hose over the fence in an attempt to separate them.
Residents stated one animal was “left in a pool of blood”, and it is unclear what has happened to the dog now.
Although pleased a prosecution has been secured, the resident raised frustrations at what she felt was a lack of action by the RSPCA or police during the ordeal.
In September 2019 Abdullah Al-Hassan Chowdhury was also hit with a 10-year criminal behaviour order following further action by the local authority. The order means Chowdhury must not bring onto, or keep, any animals within any residential address, use any residential address for commercial or business purposes, or engage in any threatening or abusive behaviour.
Locals remained sceptical that the order would safeguard the welfare of a single dog and it was reported that the Chowdhurys had already taken the dogs elsewhere in any event.
A few months later, in October 2019, national newspaper the Daily Mail carried a report of eight starving dogs being kept in a garden at 132 St George’s Road, Dagenham, east London RM9 5JB, apparently without food, water or shelter.
A local animal welfare group called Scruffy’s Angels became aware of the dogs’ plight after reuniting a stray dog with the occupants, who were said to be Asian and owners of a canine security company (note: it’s not confirmed if this was K9 Cube or another firm).
The volunteer wrote: ‘These are the pics from Dagenham – no food, no shelter, no water.
‘We have been waiting for the RSPCA to attend since yesterday despite numerous calls.’
They added: ‘The address is registered to a security company which has approximately five different addresses.’
Volunteers lowered buckets of food and water for the dogs, to at least keep them alive while waiting for the authorities to attend.
The RSPCA eventually attended and two of the eight dogs were taken into their care immediately with the remaining six also due to be collected.
The occupant of 132 St Georges Road was later named as Abdullah Aslam Baker, born November 1994, and the company name was Baker Guarding Limited. According to Companies House Baker has since resigned as a director the company. The company is still active, however, with an Asif Butt as its remaining sole director..
It’s not known if anyone was ever prosecuted in relation to the Dagenham dogs of if Abdullah Baker is linked to Daanyaal Chowdhury, but the pair have much in common.
CONVICTED (2022) | barbaric wildlife persecutors Grant Leigh Senior, born 4 February 1970, and son Grant Leigh Junior, born 24 March 1991, both of 38 Marler Road, Hyde SK14 4BD, and Paris Jade Carding, born 15 August 1993 of 12 Fawley Grove, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 9WG – carried out multiple acts of animal cruelty.
Paris Carding, Grant Leigh Jr and Grant Leigh Sr were all convicted of animal cruelty offences.
The trio were arrested after a police rural crime officer was contacted anonymously, in October 2020, about posts and photos that had been posted in a private Facebook group, run by Grant Leigh Senior.
The RSPCA along with Cheshire Police, launched an investigation and secured warrants for two addresses in Greater Manchester.
As a result six dogs were removed and taken into RSPCA care and a number of mobile phones were also seized and forensically examined. These revealed numerous videos and photos of dogs engaged in hunting and fighting with wild animals such as badgers and foxes. Very young children featured in much of the footage.
Still from video clip showing fox being mauled by dogs.
Carding appeared in 32 separate video clips, all of which showed her “vicious and nasty” treatment of animals
In one video, Carding is heard saying: ”There it is, it’s a pig [badger] isn’t it? Bash, bash it, ooh, it’s biting’.”
In another clip, Carding encouraged a toddler to get a lurcher dog to attack a badger sett saying: ”Her face is going to be smashed. Good boy, get him out. Look at them fighting.”
She further baited three dogs into ”pulling a fox to pieces.”
Inquiries revealed she had been joined on the barbaric family expedition by her boyfriend, Grant Leigh Junior, and his ex-huntsman father, Grant Leigh Snr.
In one clip, Leigh Jnr is seen showing the toddler how to hit a badger with a spade.
One picture showed Grant Jr holding a dead fox with a child accompanied by the caption: ”Family day out, learn these kids young. Hunting mad!”
Grant Leigh Senior was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a terrier, alongside failing to properly look after six other dogs.
Carding, who worked at a primary school in Manchester for six years until 2021, was found guilty of five cruelty charges under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.
Carding and Leigh Sr are pictured outside court.
RSPCA Inspector Kirsty Withnall, a case officer for the charity’s Special Operation Unit, told the court: “Upon interrogating the phones, it was discovered that recordings had been made of extensive and graphic badger and fox persecution.
“It also became apparent that Leigh Jnr’s partner, Paris Carding, was present during these recordings. She was responsible for taking the footage, was heard encouraging both Leigh Jnr and the dogs during the attacks and was completely complicit.”
At one property, Leigh Snr was arrested by police and officers found a kennel block in the back garden containing six dogs, three of which were recognisable from the videos.
Two black Patterdale terriers had scarring on their faces and one was underweight; three bull lurcher types – one called Mission – also had facial injuries; and a white and black terrier – called Clover – had fresh wounds and a swollen face and muzzle.
Clover and Mission could be seen on the videos from the phones being used to hunt and fight wildlife just two days before they were seized.
An independent vet who attended the scene said in his report that the kennels were ‘unhygienic’ and described many of the dogs as having ‘mature scars’.
Two of the dogs – Buster and Shay – were rehomed. Clover and Mission were said to belong to Leigh Jnr while the other two dogs – Rocky and Bronco – had been brought from the internet.
A third warrant was executed on December 23, 2020, at Carding’s address and a terrier, called Foxy, who had been seen in videos on the mobile phones, was seized and taken into RSPCA care. Carding said Foxy did not belong to her so he was rehomed.
The vet report added: “All seven dogs had evidence of skin scarring and with the exception of one all dogs had injuries to, or had missing teeth.
“These findings are commonly encountered when a dog has been fighting with another animal of similar size and stature.”
He said two of the dogs had evidence of de-gloving injuries to the chin/jaw, concluding: “In my experience a de-gloving injury of the chin is commonly encountered when a dog fights with a badger.”
PC Jim Clark from Cheshire Constabulary’s Rural Crime Team said: “This investigation uncovered a horrific catalogue of abuses and neglect of animals and cruelty to wildlife.
“This result reinforces our determination to work with our colleagues at the RSPCA to deter this type of behaviour as part of our commitment to protecting our rural communities.”
Grant Leigh Junior was sentenced to the maximum he could impose of a total of 26 weeks in prison, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128 and was disqualified from keeping all animals for life (he can’t make any application to remove this for 25 years). Grant Leigh junior is already in prison for another matter and this sentence will be on top of that and will be consecutive.
Paris Carding was sentenced to a total of 22 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. She was given a curfew for 16 weeks, ordered to pay costs of £1,000, a victim surcharge of £128, and disqualified from keeping all animals for 25 years (she can’t make any application to remove this for 15 years). The judge said how a mother of young child has been present at this ‘horror show is beggars belief’. The long term impact on the children is immeasurable. He said she was the one person who could have asserted some influence and prevented children from seeing what happened and said to her ‘shame on you’. He said the extent of your culpability was obvious and to video what happened was a trophy perverse in the extreme.
Grant Leigh Senior was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement, ordered to pay costs of £1,000,a victim surcharge of £128 and disqualified from keeping all animals for life (he can’t make any application to remove this for 25 years).
CONVICTED (2018) | Luke Hodgson, born c. 1996, and as at November 2019 of Nicholson Street, Hull HU5 1EY – suffocated a dog to death in campaign of domestic violence
Dog killer Luke Hodgson originally from Manchester and more recently West Hull has multiple convictions for violence against women and others, including an emergency worker.
Luke Hodgson, previously of Berkshire Street, east Hull, was sent to prison after he suffocated the terrier and assaulted a woman.
Hodgson was also found guilty of assault after beating a woman and grabbing her by the throat.
Magistrates said the offence was so serious because it involved the “death of [an] animal and fear of serious injury to complainant”.
Luke Hodgson
Hodgson, who is originally from Radcliffe in Bury, Greater Manchester, has previous convictions for threatening with a bladed article, violence, a racially aggravated public order offence and having an imitation firearm.
A restraining order was issued preventing Hodgson from contacting the woman until October 15, 2020.
Sentencing: jailed for 12 weeks. Ordered to pay £115 surcharge. Banned from keeping animals for ten years.
CONVICTED (2016) | Rachel McKenzie, born c. 1982, of Deyne Avenue, Rusholme, Manchester M14 5SY – kept a starved pitbull-type dog in a filthy yard.
Rachel McKenzie left her emaciated dog to starve in a filthy yard.
RSPCA officers visited mother-of-two Rachel McKenzie’s home in February 2016 and found faeces in the yard where the dog, named Missy, was kept. There was no fresh drinking water and no comfortable resting area.
The dog was in a terrible condition and was suffering muscle wastage, and emaciation, Her ribs, pelvis, spine and hip bones were prominent through her skin.
She was found to be ‘unsteady on her feet’ and slept on filthy and wet bedding in a makeshift kennel.
She weighed 13.6 kilos and had been suffering for ‘at least seven days’ before her discovery.
Vets rated her health as a one out of nine, with one being emaciated, and nine being obese.
RSPCA officers found faeces in the yard the dog was kept. There was no fresh drinking water and no comfortable resting area.
During interview, Mckenzie said she had taken Missy to an animal hospital as she had not been eating for about two months and claimed she was simply told to keep her apart from another dog she had.
She said she didn’t contact the RSPCA as she feared Missy would be ‘put to sleep’.
She said she had been ‘too ill’ to clean the yard and that she hadn’t been speaking to her partner, who usually did the job.
William Staunton, defending, said McKenzie ‘has genuine concern for the welfare of the dog now’, adding the animal was ‘placid’.
He told the court his client had been struggling with a breakdown of her relationship with a ‘violent’ partner at the time.
He said McKenze’s behaviour wasn’t ‘wilful cruelty’ but ‘omission and neglect’.
He successfully argued that his client shouldn’t be banned from keeping animals – only dogs – as her autistic son regarded a family cat as ‘a fixture in his particular firmament’.
Missy was being nourished back to health and by early March 2016 she weighed 14.95 kilos. While there was initially a question mark over her future after she was thought to be banned breed, she was later returned to her original owner.
Sentencing: 12-month community order including a 20-day rehabilitation element, and a three-month curfew. Banned from keeping dogs for eight years (expires September 2024).
CONVICTED (2016) | Shaan Malik, born c. 1991, of Clarendon Road, Whalley Range, Manchester M16 – stabbed a dog with such ferocity he fractured her skull and ripped one of her ears off.
2019 police mugshot of Shaan Malik
The five-year-old Shar-pei, named Boo, barely survived after being repeatedly knifed by career criminal Shaan Malik, who had broken into her owner’s Hapurhey home.
Malik stabbed Boo repeatedly and with such ferocity he fractured her skull and ripped one of her ears off completely.
The sweet-natured Shar-pei suffered horrific injuries after her home was burgled by twisted career criminal Shaan Malik
In an ironic twist, Boo’s actions helped police crack the case. She nipped Malik on the finger, causing him to bleed as he ransacked the householder’s bedroom. A drop of blood on a glasses’ case he handled provided officers with the DNA sample that placed him at the scene.
Malik admitted burglary and a separate offence of handling military memorabilia taken in another break-in.
He was blasted by Judge Richard Mansell QC as he was sent down for three years and nine months – as much as the guidelines, the circumstances, and his guilty plea would allow.
The sentencing hearing was told Malik comes from a decent family, but had gone off the rails after developing a cannabis problem.
Shaan Malik, described as the black sheep of his family, showed no remorse for his vile cruelty towards a defenceless dog.
In a rare, touching courtroom scene, his relatives apologised to Boo’s owner and her supporters, who gave them each a hug after he was sent down.
Judge Mansell told Malik: “You appear to me to demonstrate little or no remorse for this offence. The truth is, Shaan Malik, you are a dishonest young man who will stop short of nothing to steal valuable property.
“You have also demonstrated a nasty violent streak, you attacked this poor dog, inflicting these injuries. You’re the only member of your family to take this path in life. I have to say they have my every sympathy.”
Boo was lucky to survive the attack.
Boo made a good recovery but may suffer seizures and sight problems as she ages as a direct result of Malik’s attack on her.
Sentence: jailed for three years and 9 months (for offences including burglary).
