CONVICTED (2017) | Jake Griffiths, born 07/08/1992, of Ringwood Crescent, Westbury-on-Trym , Bristol BS10 5RL – swung his dog around by the lead and kept kicking him in the street until passers-by intervened
Griffiths assaulted his dog in such a shocking way that people walking past the attack on Gloucester Road in July 2017 stepped in and tried to stop him.
They held him until police arrived, and Griffith was arrested.
It appeared Griffiths was trying to train his brindle-coloured Staffordshire bull terrier, who was just nine months old at the time. He was picking up the dog, Buddy, and throwing him to the ground.
“Witnesses saw Griffiths lift the dog up by his lead which was tied around his neck, so it was almost like a noose,” said RSPCA Inspector Simon Coombs.
“Then they saw him kick the dog a couple of times, before dragging him up the road.
“They intervened and called the police, who then arrested Griffiths and contacted ourselves,” he added.
At Bristol Magistrates Court, Griffiths admitted two offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
He was given a lifetime ban on keeping all animals for causing unnecessary suffering to Buddy, as well as using frightening, harmful and potentially painful training methods.
In his defence, Griffiths told magistrates that he has an alcohol problem that made him short-tempered and he had taken it out on Buddy, despite saying he loved the dog.
“That is still no excuse for treating an animal so badly and I’m really pleased with the sentence,” said Insp Coombs.
“Griffiths signed Buddy over to us as soon as we became involved and I’m pleased to say that he was rehomed soon after,” he added.
Magistrates commended the two witnesses who saw the incident and intervened.
Griffiths was told by the court that he cannot appeal his lifetime animal ban for ten years.
Sentence: one-year community order, which includes 20 days of rehabilitation activity and a six-month alcohol treatment requirement; £300 in costs and £85 victim surcharge; banned from keeping animals for life.