CONVICTED (2024) | Elliot Arnold, born c. 1992, of Marshall Street, Newland, north-west Hull – caused his XL Bully crossbreed excruciating pain and put him at risk of death after carrying out a horrific DIY castration job.
Arnold took XL Bully Staffy-cross Frank to a vet after trying to neuter him at home.
The vet noticed that there was an elastic rubber band around both the dog’s testicles. Skin in that area was falling off and there was a strong infected smell. He was suffering traumatic pain and running the risk of the potentially fatal condition, sepsis.
Frank was treated and, fortunately, he survived the ordeal.
Arnold later told police that he tied the elastic bands around the dog’s testicles because he was scared that Frank would be taken off him, as the XL Bully breed was due to be banned shortly.
He watched YouTube videos on how to castrate animals and he believed that, if he used the elastic bands on Frank’s testicles, they would eventually fall off.
He later noticed that the testicles had changed colour and told the emergency vets what he had done.
The judge was of the opinion that there was “an element of money saving” in Arnold’s decision to castrate Frank himself but accepted that his actions had been “a one-off”. and didn’t ban him from keeping animals.
Sentencing| 24-week suspended prison sentence ; £500 costs. No ban.