Category Archives: service and working dogs

Animal Abandonment, Dogs, security dogs, Security Industry, service and working dogs

Whitminster, Gloucester: Jon Humphries-Cuff

November 10, 2017 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2017) | security company owner Jon Douglas Humphries-Cuff, born 30/03/1980, of Hillsborough House, Fromebridge, Whitminster, Gloucester GL2 7PF – neglected a guard dog so badly his tail had rotted

Dog abuser: Security company owner Jon Humphries-Cuff from Gloucester, UK.

Jon Humphries-Cuff, then a director of Cuff Security Services Ltd, which has since been dissolved, was the owner of a dog found roaming the streets with open sores and a rotten tail. He was found guilty of neglect, following a prosecution by the RSPCA.

Presa canario Goffio was abused by security company owner Jon Humphries-Cuff from Gloucester, UK.

The animal welfare charity began an investigation after the Presa Canario, known as Goffio, was discovered wandering the streets by a council dog warden.

Presa canario Goffio was abused by security company owner Jon Humphries-Cuff from Gloucester, UK. Image of rotted tail.

Inspector Philip Mann, who investigated, said: “Goffio is such a lovely friendly dog – he’s a real gentle giant. It’s heartbreaking to think he was left to suffer without the veterinary care he desperately needed. The sores had been there for months and months and his tail was in such a terrible state it had completely rotted.

“Goffio was a security dog but sadly he wasn’t given security from pain and suffering he deserved in his own life.

“He was also underweight when he was rescued but thanks to the hard work and dedication of our team at Stubbington Ark RSPCA Animal Shelter, and particularly Hannah Nandhra, he has now recovered and is doing great.

“I’d like to express my gratitude to Stroud District Council’s animal welfare officers and Teckels Animal Sanctuary who helped him when he was found straying and raised concerns for his welfare.”

Humphries-Cuff denied knowing about the condition of his dog’s tail, claiming he had not seen his dogs in daylight for several days. He also told the court he had been treating the sores himself with antiseptic spray.

Following a two-day trial, he was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering by failing to provide suitable veterinary care for the necrotic and infected tail, contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and failing to provide veterinary care for the open sores contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

He was also found guilty of failing to meet Goffio’s needs by not ensuring he maintained a suitable body weight, contrary to Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The RSPCA hoped to rehome Goffio if no appeal was lodged within 21 days.

Sentencing: ordered to undertake 240 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 in court costs. No ban on keeping animals was imposed by the court.

GloucestershireLive

Dogs, Pet Profiteering, puppy farmers / traffickers, kennels, backyard breeders, security dogs, Security Industry, Serial Animal Abusers, service and working dogs, Worst of the Worst

Edgware, London: Nijamul Islam

July 5, 2017 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2017) | serial dog abuser Nijamul Islam, born 19/02/1973, of 91 Farm Road, Edgware HA8 9LR – kept dozens of large-breed ‘protection’ dogs in cramped, dirty conditions and without food or water

Serial dog abuser Nijamul Islam of Edgware, London, kept dogs to be used in the security industry — Islam ran a business supplying dogs to the security industry but kept them in filth and squalor and without food or water

Persistent animal abuser Nijamul Islam was first convicted of dog abuse on a massive scale in November 2012. Then trading as the Vardalu Pet Hotel based in Elstree, Herts, Islam was convicted of cruelty to 173 dogs and puppies, including Rottweilers, German shepherds, Belgian malinois and American bulldogs. He was given a two-year suspended prison term and banned from keeping dogs for 10 years.

Footage from the RSPCA’s 2012 raid on Islam’s then premises in Elstree, Hertfordshire

In October 2014 the authorities discovered he was keeping 102 dogs at Woodhill Farm, Stanstead Road, Great Amwell SG12 9RN after a kennel maid was attacked by a Belgian shepherd and a German shepherd. The victim was rushed to hospital with life threatening injuries and required surgery to save her arms.

The two dogs concerned were later destroyed due to their “extremely aggressive nature”.

Both police officers and officers from the RSPCA entered the farm later on the same day where they discovered more than a hundred dogs being kept in “squalid” conditions.

Judge John Plumstead was told several people worked at the farm, where dogs to be used in the security industry were allegedly trained.

The judge was told the conditions for the animals were ‘appalling’ with filthy cages covered in urine and faeces.

The animals, some of which were puppies, had inadequate bedding and no access to clean water or food.

There were also dead dogs on the site.

Of the dogs found within the farm, 40 had to be put down either because they were deemed dangerous by the RSPCA or had severe medical conditions and were suffering.

RSPCA inspector Steph Law said: “The conditions the dogs were kept in were horrendously squalid. It was filthy and most of the dogs had been left without food and water.

“Sadly we also found that a number of the dogs were very badly injured and had been left to suffer without veterinary treatment.

“It was sickening to see the scale of suffering as we worked with the police over four days to remove the dogs and bring them into boarding.”

Judge Plumstead said Islam had an ‘appalling track record’ for neglect and cruelty to animals.

He said: ‘These were not everyday dogs. They were all large and potentially violent dogs.

‘These dogs were kept in dreadful conditions in a way which could only be described as scandalous.’

He said he had also seen a training video seized from Islam’s business, which showed him setting a large Alsatian-type dog across a field to attack a man wearing a bite suit.

Judge Plumstead said the dog had been ‘biting determinedly and with considerable force until it was called off by the defendant’.

He said: ‘This was not a legitimate business because he was in no position to legally be doing what he was doing.’

In July 2017 Nijamul Islam was jailed for two and half years after pleading guilty to two charges of being in charge of a dog which was dangerously out of control.

Islam also admitted being in breach of an order disqualifying him from keeping dogs and four charges of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs.

Sentencing: two-and-a-half year jail term. Continuation of his original 10-year ban on keeping dogs imposed in 2012 (expired 2022).

Daily Mail
BBC News

Dogs, police dogs, service and working dogs

Reading, Berkshire: Martin Sama

May 18, 2017 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2017) | career criminal Martin Alie Sama, born November 1987, of Faringdon Walk, Reading RG30 3LD – attacked a police dog during a pursuit

Persistent criminal Martin Sama from Reading, UK, attacked PD Caesar during a pursuit. — Persistent criminal Martin Sama attacked PD Caesar during a pursuit. Fortunately Caesar recovered from his injuries and is back on duty while Sama was sent to jail.

Sama, who is originally from Sierra Leone, was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, assaulting a constable, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, possessing cannabis, driving dangerously and driving while disqualified and without insurance.

The court heard that PD Caesar, a Dutch Shepherd, pursued Sama, who then attacked the dog and bit his handler.

It came after police constable Christopher Bushnell spotted a shredded back tyre on a Lexus, being driven by the persistent offender.

The officer pursued Sama, who drove through two red lights and swerved across multiple lanes.

The court heard how Sama then jumped out of the out of the moving car and sprinted down an alley. This prompted the policeman to release Caeser.

Giving evidence, PC Bushnell said: “Caesar chased the male down the alley way and I followed.

“I heard the male scream. Caesar had bit him in the buttock. The man was lashing out and swinging Caesar’s body. The man was striking the dog.

“Caesar released his grip and dropped off.”

Aware that Caesar, who had been working with him for nearly four years, could be in trouble, PC Bushnell called for backup and swung a punch at Sama.

Sama bit the policeman’s fingers whilst he was being restrained, the court heard.

When more officers arrived minutes later they found Sama to be in possession of a small amount of cannabis and a 20-inch machete.

Limping Caesar was taken to a vets the following day and had to take four days off the beat.

Despite admitting he was driving the car, Sama denied the drugs were his.

“That cannabis was found in a cigarette packet on the alley floor,” he told District Judge Susan Cooper.

“It had nothing to do with me.”

He also claimed the machete was brought into the car by a mystery man he was giving a lift to and whose name he did not know, and that he did not hit the dog or bite PC Bushnell.

He continued: “I did not strike the dog at all. I wouldn’t do that to a dog.

“I also didn’t bite the officers finger’s. I was beaten so badly I even lost my shoes.”

However Judge Cooper was not convinced by Sama, who has previous dangerous driving and drug convictions.

The judge added: “It seems ludicrous to suggest the cigarette packet wasn’t on you.

“Two officers could see it was. I also believe you were travelling at speed.

“You have come to court today and told many lies.”

Sentencing: 27 months in jail.

Reading Chronicle

animal fighting / baiting, badger baiting, deer, Dogs, foxes, hunting with dogs, Multiple Species, Organised Animal Crime, Pet Profiteering, Serial Animal Abusers, service and working dogs, Wildlife Crime / Bloodsports

Tonypandy, South Wales: Christian Latcham

January 15, 2011 misanthropic Leave a comment

CONVICTED (2011) | persistent wildlife persecutor Christian Latcham, born c. 1987, of Morton Terrace, Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf CF40 2DP

Serial persecutor of badgers, foxes and deer Christian Latcham of Tonypandy, South Wales — Barbaric Christian Latcham set his dogs on badgers, foxes and deer . He is shown here with regular digging mate Jamie Rush. Rush was exposed alongside Latcham in a 2018 BBC Wales documentary entitled ‘ The Secret World of Badger Baiters’

Blood sports enthusiast Latcham – a father of six – pleaded guilty to two charges under the Animal Welfare Act and six charges under the Badger Act.

The serial abuser was prosecuted after evidence of sickening cruelty towards badgers, foxes and deer were discovered on his mobile phone.

Prosecuting, Geraint Richards described to the court the disturbing pictures of a severed badger head, a photo of Latcham’s dogs savaging a badger and an image of a bloodstained Latcham holding up animal carcasses.

The court heard how, on being arrested in 2009 for a separate offence, Latcham had aroused officers’ suspicion as he hurried to conceal his mobile phone.

When the police seized his phone they viewed images of the defendant holding up the carcasses of foxes, deer and badgers.

Clive Rees, defending, said the defendant lacked empathy and had limited social skills.

He said: “He has been unable to put himself in the place of the animals he was dealing with and to think and see through the things he was doing.”

Chairman of the bench Mike Hanley said: “These were deliberate and unprovoked actions which speak of unspeakable cruelty.”

Two dogs used to savage the badgers were taken away from Latcham.

RSPCA inspector Simon Evans said badger baiting had become a prevalent problem in South Wales.

He said: “Offending evidence in this type of case is rare, but this isn’t a one off.”

Sentencing: Five-month prison sentence, suspended for one year; 250 hours of unpaid work; £1,000 costs. Disqualified indefinitely from keeping dogs.

Wales Online
BBC News

Update 2018

Despite having been banned indefinitely from keeping dogs Christian Latcham featured in an episode of BBC Wales Investigates entitled ‘The Secret World of Badger Baiters’.

The episode showed that Latcham not only had dogs but was still actively engaged in badger baiting alongside Jamie Rush. Other associates include Tomas Young and Ryan Harrison, who were jailed for badger baiting in June 2019. Young’s cruelty included skinning a badger cub alive before feeding it to his dogs.

UK Animal Cruelty Files