CONVICTED (2014) | Shona McBain (aka Shona Wilks), born 20/12/1974, of Logie Place, Aberdeen AB16 7UP – starved one dog to death and allowed two others to become emaciated.
Monster: Shona McBain aka Shona Wilks, from Aberdeen
McBain admitted the horrific neglect of Staffies Lexie and Roxy and lurcher Ruby.
Roxy had to be put down because she had no fat or muscle on her “skeletal” body.
Scottish SPCA inspector Fiona McKenzie said:”Roxy was like a skeleton. The temples of her head were extremely sunken and she had no fat or muscle at all.
“She showed no interest in life and appeared very weak. When we removed her from McBain’s property she was unable to walk and had to be carried the short distance to our van.
“Roxy was in a semi-collapsed state when we got her to the vets and was clearly emaciated. Ruby was also very thin.
Staffy Lexie recovered from her ordeal in the care of the SSPCA.
“Tragically, Roxy’s condition deteriorated overnight and there was no option for the vet but to put her to sleep to end her suffering.
“Lexie and Ruby made full recoveries in our care and we have since found them loving new homes.”
McBain was no stranger to the courts. In September 2013 she was given a community order after threatening her husband, Kenneth Wilks, with a knife.
Despite her latest conviction she still avoided prison.
Dog killer Shona McBain, who actually uses her married name Wilks in day-to-day life, pictured outside court
McBain, who also owns several cats, was given a pathetic three-year ban which only extended to dogs. At the time of adding this case to the database, that ban had already expired and McBain would appear to now own a lurcher-type dog.
We hope the authorities are watching her like a hawk.
Sentencing: 135-hour community service order. Three-year ban on owning dogs (expired August 2017).
CONVICTED (2012) | Tracy Jane Scougall, aka Tracy Penny, born 26/02/1980, address at March 2020 13 Bonnyton Road, Pitmedden, Ellon AB41 7QA – starved her pet dog to death
Single mother Tracy Scougall aka Tracy Penny is banned from keeping animals for life
Scougall admitted failing to give enough food or water to Buffy the Staffordshire bull terrier.
The eight-year-old pet had been dead for three days when Scottish SPCA officers found the dog’s body in a garden shed in Pitmedden in 2011.
Scougall was also accused of keeping a Labrador dog named Shadow in a hallway cupboard without adequate food, water or access but was not convicted of this offence.
Sheriff Philip Hammond, at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, told her the images of her pet’s emaciated body were “distressing and appalling” to look at.
Scottish SPCA chief inspector John Carle said after the case: “We are delighted Scougall has received a life ban on keeping dogs.
“However, we believe that this was a case of gross neglect and therefore we would have welcomed an outright ban on keeping animals.
“In our opinion, Scougall has demonstrated that she is unfit to provide any animal with even the most basic level of care.”
Sentencing | 150 hours of unpaid work. Lifetime ban on keeping animals.
CONVICTED (2012) | Ian McHattie, born c. 1988, of Morrison Place, Peterhead AB42 3HW – starved and neglected his pet dog
Father-of-two Ian McHattie pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to his female Staffordshire bull terrier, named Gabby, by failing to provide adequate nutrition.
Neglected dog Gabby survived her ordeal and was rehomed
A Scottish SPCA inspector visited McHattie’s home in August 2011 and found the one-year-old dog in a severe state of emaciation with no access to food or water.
Yesterday, SSPCA inspector Fiona Mckenzie said it was disappointing that the court had not handed out a lifetime ban.
She said: “Following our investigation, McHattie has been convicted of causing an animal unnecessary suffering and now has a criminal record. A one-year ban on keeping animals has been imposed and as a result, Gabby will not be returned to his care.
“While we have to accept the decisions of the courts, given the nature of this case we would have supported a life ban.
“Poor Gabby was in a horrendous state of emaciation, weighing under 9kg (19.8lb) when a dog of her breed and age should be around 16kg (35.2lb).
“McHattie failed to provide her with the diet she needed and there is no doubt Gabby suffered a great deal. When I offered her water she drank so fast I feared she would make herself sick.
“Thankfully, Gabby has since recovered in our care and we can now find her the loving home she deserves.”
Sentencing: 150 hours of community service; £500 fine. Banned from keeping animals for ONE year.
CONVICTED (2011) | dogfighters Colin Barclay Reid, born 12 October1986, of Smith Road, Banff AB45 1BN and brother David Lewis Reid, born 6 October 1988, of High Shore, Macduff AB44 1SN
“Cruel and barbaric” brothers Colin (left) and David Reid were only banned from keeping dogs for five years despite being described as key players in organised dog fighting
In September 2011 Colin and David Reid pleaded guilty to encouraging bull terrier-type dogs to attack each other at a disused open-air swimming pool in Tarlair between July 29, 2008 and January 20, 2011, and also to keeping dogs for fighting.
Video footage captured the Reid brothers forcing their dogs to fight.
Undercover investigators raided the homes of the pair and found footage of dogfighting on a laptop. The brothers were believed to have operated among a wider ring of dogfighters.
And it is believed they had been involved in the depraved activity for years.
One of the injured dogs rescued from the scene
The case marked the first conviction for animal fighting since new legislation allowed SSPCA inspectors to search and enter homes of suspected dog fight organisers.
The brothers are close associates of a man whose dog was found in a ditch by the SSPCA during the investigation.
The dog had been shot through the skull and investigators are convinced other dogs who had become too old to earn their keep through fighting would also have been killed.
Convicted dogfighter Colin Reid in 2018. He’s now a father and also owns at least one dog.
Other fighting dogs were found dead within 20 miles of Banff, showing signs of appalling cruelty and suggesting the problem was widespread.
The dogs are believed to have been killed and dumped to avoid the SSPCA bringing charges against their owners.
In 2006, David Reid was convicted of cutting off part of both ears of two bull terriers with scissors. He pleaded guilty and was banned for two years from keeping animals and fined £300.
2018 photo of Colin Reid. His ban on keeping dogs expired in September 2016.
An undercover investigator said: “The implication of mutilating this animal was that it was a fighting dog.
“Owners do this to ready dogs for fights, to make them look fierce and to stop other dogs locking jaws on their ears while fighting.
“At the time, we couldn’t prove that he was involved in dogfighting but then the case was blown wide open when we saw the video.
“It shows both Reid brothers throwing their own dogs into a fight in the middle of the night at a secluded place not far from their home.”
The investigator added: “We also found videos of dog fights from eastern Europe.”
Colin Reid has a tattoo glorifying dog fighting.
The probe uncovered evidence from farmers, who believed their cattle may have been attacked by dogfighters training their animals.
The crucial evidence was gathered when the SSPCA investigation team and police raided four homes, seizing six pit bulls.
Intelligence was received the following month that a dog had been shot and dumped on a farm.
Officers were shocked to see a clear bullet hole through the back of its skull.
The dog’s carcass still held an identifying microchip, which proved it belonged to an associate of the Reid brothers.
David Reid was also sentenced to jail for going on the rampage after he was reported to the SSPCA. He hunted down a man he suspected of “grassing” him and attacked him along with an accomplice, breaking his skull and pelvis.
The Scottish SPCA said the case sent a message to anyone taking part in the “abhorrent activity.”
It followed an undercover operation by the animal charity.
Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said: “Our investigation revealed both David and Colin Reid were heavily involved in dog fighting, a sickening crime which causes dogs horrendous injuries and can often be fatal.
“It is testament to our inspectors involved that these extremely cruel and barbaric men are serving jail sentences.
“This was the first conviction for animal fighting under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act of 2006, which empowers Scottish SPCA inspectors to search and enter homes under warrants to retrieve evidence.”
He added: “During raids on the Reid brothers we discovered video evidence which not only proved their guilt but also clearly demonstrated their fascination in watching the poor dogs involved viciously fight each other.
“We also removed six dogs, including three pitbull terrier-type dogs which are illegal having been classified as dangerous, veterinary equipment and various paraphernalia associated with dog fighting.”
Sentencing: David Reid was jailed for six months and Colin Reid was sentenced to four months. They were banned from keeping dogs for just five years (expired September 2016).
Two other men were initially prosecuted for dog fighting alongside the Reid brothers, namely William Stuart from Macduff and Stuart Grant from Banff.
The outcome of their cases was never reported. Full details:
Alleged Accomplice 1: William Allan Stuart, born 16 January 1975, of Doune Crescent, Macduff AB44 1PN
Alleged Accomplice 2: Stuart Alexander Grant, born 7 February 1980, previously of Seafield Crescent, Banff and more recently Birch Grove, Mintlaw, Peterhead AB42 5GN
We collate data on animal cruelty convictions in the UK
