In August 2011 David Harley of Pendennis Court, Falmouth, was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a ten-month-old Jack Russell named Dotty.

The court did not accept Harley’s claims that the dog’s  extensive injuries and death had resulted from “heavy-handed” CPR.

Harley said that he had left the dog, named Dotty, alone in his flat for some time and that when he returned she had emptied a doorless kitchen cupboard of its contents. He said that he found her unconscious a few moments later at which stage he attempted to give her CPR.

Harley claimed that Dotty must have eaten something poisonous from the cupboard but the results of the post-mortem were not consistent with this version of events.  The vet determined, rather, that the dog’s injuries, which included two broken ribs, punctured lungs and damage to her head, neck, chest and abdomen, were likely to have been caused by blunt trauma.   Respiratory distress from the punctured lung would have caused her death.

A neighbour of self-employed carpenter Harley described in court that he heard banging so forceful that the ceiling shook and felt that Harley was mistreating Dotty.  He heard the dog whining and whimpering followed by Harley repeatedly shouting: “oh God, what have I done?”

Sentence: Harley was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for two years, with 300 hours’ community work.  He was also ordered to pay £1,500 towards costs and banned from keeping dogs for life.

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