CONVICTED (2024) | Javel Pilgrim, born 14 November 1999, of Saint Gregory’s Crescent, Gravesend, but with links to the Hackney and Barking areas of London – caught on camera abusing his pet dog.
Pilgram, who according to his LinkedIn profile works as a “program development professional”, admitted the physical abuse and neglect of his pet dog, Tessa, in a case brought by the RSPCA.
The incident, which took place on January 25, 2023, saw Pilgrim, who at the time lived on Maybury Road, Barking, lift Tessa up before hurling her from height onto the ground.
A vet who viewed the video after it was reported to the RSPCA commented: “The person does not drop the dog by accident but throws it with intent and force enough to propel it a considerable distance from him.”
“The clip shows him positioning the dog behind him to enable him to throw the dog effectively. The energy required in my opinion and experience in handling dogs, was very large to throw the dog the distance seen, and the intent was to harm the dog.
“There is no sign … that the dog was trying to bite the person, or that the man was acting in self-defence. He is not seen attending to the dog immediately afterwards, suggesting that he failed to prevent further suffering by not checking for injuries.”
When RSPCA animal rescue officer Bryan Taylor visited Pilgrim, he discovered Tessa living in the garden. She was removed from the property with consent and taken for a veterinary examination on January 26, 2023.
The vet found her to be underweight at 15.9kg, scoring three out of nine on the body condition scale. She had sustained injuries, staining, and calluses on her lower limbs, as well as fractured teeth.
A vet stated: “This injury could have occurred when the owner threw her onto the ground- it is common for injuries to the carpus (wrist) to be caused by falling from a height. The graze on her carpus could have occurred at the same time.”
“The damage to Tessa’s teeth could also have occurred when she was thrown.
“We treated Tessa with a painkiller and a diet plan to help her gain weight.
“On February 2, her weight had increased to 16.7kg. Her cough resolved with this treatment and she is not showing any signs of lameness.”
“We also noted that while Tessa was very well behaved with female members of staff she showed signs of fear aggression (e.g. lunging when cornered) with some of our male staff members- suggesting that her previous mistreatment has made her fearful of men”.
Speaking about the case, RSPCA inspector Shahnaz Ahmad, who was in charge of the investigation for the animal welfare charity, commented: “Pilgrim inflicted appalling and totally unnecessary violence on Tessa. There is never an excuse for treating an animal in this way.”
Sentencing | 12-month community order, with 15 days of “rehabilitation”; £80 fine and £114 victim surcharge. Indefinite ban.
CONVICTED (2023) | puppy and kitten farmer Daanyaal Chowdhury, born 29 April 1993, a serial animal abuser of 24 Meldon Road, Longsight, Manchester M13 0TT but with links to east London and Chadwell St Mary, Grays, Essex – kept dozens of starving animals in inhumane conditions.
Daanyaal Chowdhury admitted causing unnecessary suffering to dozens of cats and dogs at his Perthshire farm.
In a shocking case involving the “widespread and indiscriminate neglect” of dozens of cats and dogs on a breeding facility in rural Perthshire, Daanyaal Chowdhury was convicted of multiple animal cruelty offences but only received a community sentence.
Footage showing grim and inhumane conditions on Daanyaal Chowdhury’s “chaotic and hazardous” puppy farm
Chowdhury’s company K9 Cube Limited provided animals to work in security and as sniffer dogs and had used South Cairnies Farm Cottage, Glenalmond, Perth PH1 3RY as a hub for a large-scale breeding operation.
German shepherd Sophie – also known as Stacy – had chronic skin disease, wounds between her toes, hair loss and overgrown nails
Some 32 dogs, including multiple German Shepherds, were found living in their own waste in homemade kennels, starving and with no water, along with 17 kittens and 16 cats
The alarm was raised after Chowdhury sent a diseased German Shepherd pup named Sophie to the vets.
Animal welfare officers found more than 60 cats and dogs living in extreme squalor at South Cairnies Farm Cottage, which is around 12 miles from Perth city centre
The Scottish SPCA were called in and a warrant was obtained to search the premises on October 28, 2020.
Inspectors found South Cairnies Farm Cottage to be ‘chaotic and hazardous’ with homemade kennels and various broken items scattered about.
Inspectors descended on the dilapidated site after local vets raised the alarm
An initial search found groups of puppies and kittens within three rooms of the cottage. No food or water was evident, the rooms were wet and dirty, as were the puppies and there was an extremely strong smell of faeces and urine.
Some of the dogs were living in outdoor kennels without natural light or flooring, while others had been completely exposed to the wind and rain
The homemade kennels at the rear of the property housed a number of large breed dogs. The kennels, where they had shelter, were not watertight. They all were filthy and strewn with urine and faeces; most had no water or bedding.
homemade kennels housed a number of large breed dogs
Some of the dogs were living in outdoor kennels without natural light or flooring, while others had been completely exposed to the wind and rain.
The cats were kept in a separate building. Again, the living areas were dirty and covered in faeces and there was no water. The plyboard walls and roof of the structure were wet and mouldy.
The accommodation for the cats was equally poor. No water had been provided and the plyboard walls and roof were wet and mouldy
A veterinary witness examined 32 dogs, 17 kittens and 16 cats at the property. They found multiple dermatological, respiratory, ophthalmic, and ear related diseases.
A Bengal cat called Bella, who had eye conditions, respiratory problems and neurological disease including severe ataxia had to be euthanised on welfare grounds.
A court hearing in October 2021 in relation to a Scottish SPCA civil case against Chowdhury’s firm K9 Cube heard that one dog required to be put to sleep, six suffered hip dysplasia, seven puppies had dermatitis, four had inflamed ears, six had dental disease or fractures, and the cats were suffering from conjunctivitis and ear mite infestation.
Young puppies were living in extreme squalor, with no food or water.
Of 49 puppies born from the dogs seized, eight passed away shortly after birth, one was put to sleep with a neurological condition and seven were born with congenital deformity and either passed away or were put to sleep as a result of their condition.
In court on May 25, 2023, Chowdhury admitted three animal welfare offences. These were that as the person responsible for animals, by act or omission he caused them unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate care or treatment and failing to get veterinary advice or treatment for health conditions.
Between April 20 and October 28 2020, he failed to treat:
A black and tan German Shepherd called Sophie, found with a chronic skin disease and wounds between her toes;
Dolly, a female Spanish Mastiff-type dog which had dermatitis, eczema, an infected wound, hair loss and a matted coat;
Dogs Sky, Lexi and Kilo which suffered orthopaedic conditions including degrees of dysplasia;
Dogs Kilo, Nancy, Coco, Roxy and Diago, all suffering from dental diseases such as fractured teeth.
Neglected cats kept in homemade cages
He further pleaded guilty to causing suffering to 15 cats – including one which later died – which had ear mite infestations and conjunctivitis.
Chowdhury also admitted he failed to provide suitable accommodation for all 33 dogs, 17 puppies and 16 cats.
The homemade kennels had no natural or artificial light, and most had no bedding or shelter from the elements
The court heard the animals were exposed to waste, loose and exposed electrical cables and garden debris hazards.
They did not have adequate resting areas, dry bedding or proper shelter from the elements.
He further failed to provide some of the animals with adequate ventilation, light, hydration and nutrition.
The vast majority of animals seized were female, and many were pregnant
Chowdhury originally denied all charges, blaming a man who was employed to manage the site on his behalf.
He changed his plea to guilty on the morning of his trial, after accepting ultimate responsibility for the animals’ welfare.
He was ordered to complete 90 hours of unpaid work and will be subject to a one-year supervision order. He was banned from keeping animals for just five years.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland said he had decided against imposing a custodial sentence, after hearing that Chowdhury had lost his livelihood with K9 Cube now bankrupt and owing creditors some £360,000.
Source: The Courier
Following the hearing, bitter Chowdhury complained to court reporters that he had been treated “like a drug dealer” by police.
He said: “I wasn’t based at the farm. Because of Covid, I couldn’t travel and our business went to zero. All of our dogs were kennelled.
“I spent hundreds of thousands of pounds there, but we had six members of staff who weren’t doing their jobs correctly.
“Unfortunately, the charges were only brought against me, on the day I wasn’t there.
“I feel that has been a miscarriage of justice because why were the people there not charged?”
Chowdhury said the business had operated out of the site for three years previously, with no issues.
The Scottish SPCA slammed the sentence, however, with inspector Katherine Aitchison saying: “We are extremely disappointed at this lenient sentencing, considering the appalling conditions these animals were kept in.
Following the October 2020 raid on Chowdhury’s farm the Scottish SPCA launched an urgent appeal for donations to provide care and rehabilitation services for the rescued animals
“The dogs and cats in his care clearly suffered and a harsher sentence should have been given.”
She added: “Chowdhury has undoubtedly shown that he was not able to provide his animals with the care they needed, and we would have hoped this to be reflected in a ban on owning or keeping animals.”
Dogs were crammed into filthy makeshift kennels
Helen Nisbet, Procurator Fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: “This was a case of widespread and indiscriminate neglect where cats, dogs and puppies were caused unnecessary suffering.
“This suffering was entirely preventable and could have been avoided by proper management and timely veterinary involvement.
“Instead, Daanyaal Chowdhury failed to provide the animals he was responsible for with an adequate environment and kept them in terrible, inhumane conditions. He failed to provide proper care and treatment and protect them from disease.
“I would like to thank the Scottish SPCA and Police Scotland for their part in investigating and gathering evidence of these offences.
“The Procurator Fiscal will continue to hold to account those who would commit such crimes and we would urge anyone with information of animal neglect to contact the police or the Scottish SPCA.”
Most of the animals were rehomed by the SSPCA following its successful civil case against Chowdhury’s company in October 2021. The charity was granted permission to move on “or otherwise dispose of” the surviving animals after the court heard that its bills for the seizure and temporary accommodation for the animals was rapidly approaching £100,000.
K9 Cube Ltd – which claimed to have been adversely affected by the Covid lockdown – sought to have the animals returned as they were “integral assets” to the company.
K9 Cube Ltd was also find liable for the expenses of the court proceedings.
Sentencing | 12-month supervision order; 90 hours of unpaid work. Five-year ban on owning, keeping or dealing in animals (expires May 2028).
“It was all just horrific” | former workers describe the atrocities they witnessed at Daanyaal Chowdhury’s breeding hub
In various interviews with the media, former employees of Daanyaal Chowdhury laid bare the shocking conditions dozens of dogs and cats were subjected to on his farm.
Speaking to local newspaper The Courier (see also here), Tiegan Walker said she cried and quit on her first day after seeing the “horrific” conditions animals were living in.
Source: The Courier
Tiegan responded to an advert posted on Gumtree for an “in house dog and cat carer and cleaner” offering £1,000 a month to live on the site.
The advert stated the owners bred German Shepherds.
The qualified animal care worker was left in tears after witnessing the “horrible” conditions the animals were being kept in and reported the owner to the authorities.
Tiegan said she had seen blind kittens walking in circles, a German Shepherd and her puppies forced to live in a cramped cupboard and a host of overbred females.
Chowdhury told Tiegan that at the height of business, before lockdown, he had around 125 animals living on the property.
She said: “I wasn’t allowed out the back because the dogs were too aggressive, but from what I could see there was around 10 but there must have been more because they were so noisy.
“Inside they must have had three litters of puppies plus their mums and then they had litters of kittens – about 20 of them.
“They were Bengal cats and they were kept in horrific conditions.”
She said the younger kittens were inside but the older cats were forced outside into kennels despite horrible weather conditions.
Tiegan added: “There were Akita puppies and I don’t even know where the mum was.
“They told me the Akita had killed her own puppies so they had taken them away and given them to the German Shepherd.
“It was all just horrific. They had the big German Shepherd, it was such a lovely dog, in a cupboard with the puppies.
“There was nowhere for her to move and there was no water for her.
“She was such a happy dog and for them to (do) that was just cruel.”
Tiegan said she also witnessed puppies living in the bathroom of the house and believes dogs were being allowed to mix-breed purely to create more puppies.
She said: “It’s just disgusting. I just don’t know how someone can do that.
“He told me that before I arrived there had been a litter of puppies who had all died from a disease.
“I just couldn’t believe it. I cried. It’s so sad.”
A second person, who wished to remain anonymous, spent less than half a day working at the property before fleeing in horror and alerting the authorities.
They said: “(I) was shown into a dirty house and asked to clean out a room with approximately eight German Shepherd puppies in it.
“It was covered in faeces and urine, and the puppies were wet and cold and (had) no food or water – until I took them some.
“No adult dogs were with them. There were three rooms like this then an outdoor kennels.
“These kennels were again dirty with no beds, food, water or any heating, there were two dogs to each kennel and were numbered rather than named.
“There were also a large number of dogs in a field that appeared older. These all weren’t German Shepherds.
“Some of the puppies did not seem in great health, some were missing eyes and limbs.”
He stayed at the cottage in Glenalmond for many months and claims he was not paid. With no money and living in a rural location he was unfamiliar with, the worker said he felt stuck in the situation.
He also claimed to have buried many puppies that did not survive.
“A lot of puppies died,” he said.
“I buried a lot of puppies myself, dogs too.
“Because when you are alone, and I am not a vet, sometimes you don’t notice but some of them got sick and they died.
“A lot of puppies died because it was cold. I didn’t really know how to take care of puppies.”
He also believes the female dogs suffered from overbreeding which caused problems with their litters.
A local from the area said he reported the property to the Scottish SPCA around 18 months earlier.
“You can hear the dogs non-stop,” he said.
“At that time they were being kept in polytunnels, in cages, in intense heat.
“All the dogs were kept out the back but if someone came to look at a dog they would take them to the front.
“They had far too many dogs. If anyone went near the place they would all just set off.
“This has been going on for 18 months. I was one of the first people to contact the SSPCA and at that time there were about 30 dogs.”
The local added that during lockdown the property was being visited frequently by people buying puppies.
Scottish SPCA and Perth and Kinross Council under fire after 18 months of complaints about Chowdhury’s puppy farm
In late December 2020, The Courier published an in-depth article on the case and highlighted the apparent failings of the authorities to take action against Daanyaal Chowdhury at a much earlier stage.
Investigative journalists Sean O’Neil and Blair Dingwall reported they had seen letters from Karen Reid, chief executive of Perth and Kinross Council and Scottish SPCA boss Kirsteen Campbell where they admit that their respective officers had visited Chowdhury’s establishment in June 2019.
The documents stated both council officers and Scottish SPCA officers were happy with the way the dogs were being kept but noted some animals were currently housed in “temporary shelters”.
Ms Reid claimed in her letter, dated October 8, 2019, that “there is no evidence to suggest that a dog breeding licence is currently required”.
However in the same letter the chief executive stated: “(The animal welfare officer) considers the levels of noise from the establishment as typical from a dog breeding environment.”
It confirmed the local authority had received two complaints from different people regarding the property and an investigation was being carried out.
It said neglect allegations were “unsubstantiated” – but that officers would continue to visit the property over complaints alleging “animal cruelty, neglect and activities associated with puppy farming”.
Scottish SPCA chief executive Kirsteen Campbell stated in her letter, dated September 23 2019, that officers had viewed “several dogs” during a June 2019 visit which were being kept in “an adequate temporary shelter” while a permanent shelter was being built.
During a follow-up visit in July 2019, officers were “comfortable improvements had been made and were reassured the owner was keen to continue to make these”.
Ms Campbell wrote: “We can only act on the evidence we see and gather whilst investigating at the time.
“On every occasion we’ve visited, the owner has been fully cooperative and all advice regarding welfare and living conditions has been followed.”
The animal welfare charity refused to say if owners were given advance warning of visits by animal welfare officers.
Numerous locals hit out at the authorities’ responses and questioned why the raid took so long to take place.
Speaking in late December 2020 one resident said: “The whole thing has been going on for 18 months and we have been trying to get answers for 18 months.
“It’s a complete whitewash. The whole thing was brushed under the carpet.
“Why did all these dogs and puppies have to suffer for 18 months because of inaction by the SSPCA and animal welfare? Why? It is appalling.”
Another told The Courier: “I have never been so disgusted with the lack of acknowledgement and intervention from the very authorities which are there to help animals and law abiding citizens live in a safe, clean and peaceful environment.”
One local asked: “Why did all these dogs and puppies have to suffer for 18 months?” due to apparent inaction by the authorities
The individual claimed the Scottish SPCA and council were alerted at least 16 months earlier when dogs were being kept in “cages, boxes, boots of cars, vans and in chains”.
Another person from the area said: “At that time they were being kept in polytunnels, in cages, in intense heat.
“All the dogs were kept out the back but if someone came to look at a dog they would take them to the front.
“They had far too many dogs. If anyone went near the place they would all just set off.
“This has been going on for 18 months. I was one of the first people to contact the SSPCA and at that time there were about 30 dogs.”
Another local said he was not surprised by the lack of action in a case that had frustrated and horrified nearby residents for the past 18 months.
He said: “It doesn’t surprise me whatsoever.
“I wasn’t there when the raid happened but they had plenty of time to arrest him, people reported when he was in the cottage. Surely someone should have been arrested.
“In the early days there was 15 or so people staying there. I couldn’t say if the cottage was ever empty but there was always cars going up and down.”
The resident told the Courier he couldn’t understand the lack of information available to locals from the Scottish SPCA.
He said: “We still can’t get our head around that no-one will give us any answers.
“How many puppies were sold down there? It must have been hundreds. It’s very hard to describe when puppies are yelping and you know they’re being hit. It’s so upsetting to hear.”
Perth and Kinross Council defended the length of time taken to investigate, while the Scottish SPCA insisted it would not comment on what was an ongoing case at the time.
A council spokesman said: “Perth and Kinross Council takes animal cruelty or neglect extremely seriously and we thoroughly investigate all allegations regarding the mistreatment of animals we receive.
“Our animal welfare officers were involved in a joint investigation with the SSPCA and Police Scotland into allegations of commercial breeding in rural Perthshire that resulted in last month’s raid.”
A long history of animal abuse? Previous allegations against Daanyaal Chowdhury
Before moving to his current address in Longsight, Manchester, Daanyaal Chowdhury lived at 49 Lea Road, Chadwell St Mary, Grays RM16 4DD with relative Abdullah Mahmood-Al Hassan Chowdhury. On April 21, 2019 a local animal lover took to Facebook to raise concerns about the welfare of two German shepherd-type dogs kept at the property. The woman alleged that the dogs were not only starved, but also beaten.
Her post included a photograph she had taken of Daanyaal Chowdhury and an image of his logo for K9 Cube.
Another Facebook user then uploaded a video which they’d taken from Chowdhury’s Instagram profile under username life_explore007 (now defunct) which showed him laughing as he poured champagne over a litter of young puppies in a bathtub.
Chowdhury also shared this image to his Instagram account showing some of his security dogs on a site, with their living conditions looking far from ideal:
The original post was shared across multiple animal groups, causing outrage.
One man decided to take matters into his own hands and pay Chowdhury’s premises a visit. He was horrified by what he found:
Feeling the pressure after the original post went viral, Chowdhury, described by one Facebook user as a wannabe gangster who had allegedly bragged about facing an attempted murder charge, removed all traces of his personal and company profiles from social media.
Pressure group campaign poster
The authorities also took action, but not on animal welfare grounds. Instead in July 2019 it was reported that the co-occupant of 49 Lea Road, Abdullah Al-Hassan Chowdhury, i.e. Daanyaal Chowdhury’s relative, had been fined around £12,000 by Thurrock Council for failing to comply with a noise abatement notice. The court heard that he had been keeping up to 20 dogs including Dobermans, Alsatians, Rottweilers and large crossbreeds at his home. and that they were being raised to work in the owner’s “security business”.
One neighbour told the local newspaper: “[The dogs] were living in what I can only describe as purgatory.
“No proper kennels, no decent food, no exercise or play.
“Often leaving these dogs shut up in make-do ‘kennels’ for days on end. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.
“We were told by people living nearer to this house how the dog mess was never cleared, and the yard was never washed down. The number grew until there were 21.
“Some would be taken to work at night and the others would be left outside, often in bad weather.
“I witnessed the dogs being kicked, kneed and hit with sticks.”
The final straw for many residents was when they witnessed two of the dogs fighting in early June 2021, with neighbours forced to spray a hose over the fence in an attempt to separate them.
Residents stated one animal was “left in a pool of blood”, and it is unclear what has happened to the dog now.
Although pleased a prosecution has been secured, the resident raised frustrations at what she felt was a lack of action by the RSPCA or police during the ordeal.
In September 2019 Abdullah Al-Hassan Chowdhury was also hit with a 10-year criminal behaviour order following further action by the local authority. The order means Chowdhury must not bring onto, or keep, any animals within any residential address, use any residential address for commercial or business purposes, or engage in any threatening or abusive behaviour.
Locals remained sceptical that the order would safeguard the welfare of a single dog and it was reported that the Chowdhurys had already taken the dogs elsewhere in any event.
A few months later, in October 2019, national newspaper the Daily Mail carried a report of eight starving dogs being kept in a garden at 132 St George’s Road, Dagenham, east London RM9 5JB, apparently without food, water or shelter.
A local animal welfare group called Scruffy’s Angels became aware of the dogs’ plight after reuniting a stray dog with the occupants, who were said to be Asian and owners of a canine security company (note: it’s not confirmed if this was K9 Cube or another firm).
The volunteer wrote: ‘These are the pics from Dagenham – no food, no shelter, no water.
‘We have been waiting for the RSPCA to attend since yesterday despite numerous calls.’
They added: ‘The address is registered to a security company which has approximately five different addresses.’
Volunteers lowered buckets of food and water for the dogs, to at least keep them alive while waiting for the authorities to attend.
The RSPCA eventually attended and two of the eight dogs were taken into their care immediately with the remaining six also due to be collected.
The occupant of 132 St Georges Road was later named as Abdullah Aslam Baker, born November 1994, and the company name was Baker Guarding Limited. According to Companies House Baker has since resigned as a director the company. The company is still active, however, with an Asif Butt as its remaining sole director..
It’s not known if anyone was ever prosecuted in relation to the Dagenham dogs of if Abdullah Baker is linked to Daanyaal Chowdhury, but the pair have much in common.
CONVICTED (2022) | Lithuanians Raimundas Pazdrazdis, his son Edgaras Pazdrazdis* and Raimundas’s brother Sigitas Pazdrazdis all of 100 Sterry Road, Dagenham RM10 8NT – ran an illegal puppy farm and kept dogs in appalling conditions.
Sigitas Pazdrazdis (left) with father and son Raimundas and Edgaras pictured together
Officers from Barking and Dagenham Council found nine dogs including huskies, pit bull terriers – who were being sold as Staffordshire bull terriers – and a French bulldog, all living in “terrible conditions”. This included dogs that were chained up or left in cages so small they were surrounded by their own excrement, while other dogs were kept in a “dirty bathroom”.
Raimundas, Edgaras and Sigitas Pazdrazdis pleaded not guilty to a string of animal cruelty charges but were convicted after a trial.
The council was alerted to the farm after a complaint was made in October 2019 relating to a purchase of a puppy whose health deteriorated quickly after he was taken home. The complaint led to an investigation into unlicensed dog breeding activity.
Raimundas was convicted of 16 charges. He was given a 12-month community order with 300 hours unpaid work, banned from keeping dogs for seven years, and given costs of £75,000 to be paid in 12 months. His six dogs were removed. Due to his three pit bulls being classed as unsafe, they will be put down.
Sigitas, who owned two of the dogs, was convicted on 13 charges. He was given a 12-month community order with 150 hours unpaid work and banned from keeping dogs for five years. His two dogs were removed with one of those, a pit bull, to be put down. He was given costs of £7,500 to be paid at £200 per month.
Edgaras was given a 12-month community order with 60 hours unpaid work and banned from keeping dogs for three years. He was also given costs of £2,500 to be paid at £50 per month.
Following an appeal hearing on 19 February 2024 at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Edgaras Pazdrazdis’ conviction was overturned. Pazrazdis, a teacher by profession and now of Siviter Way, Dagenham, was represented in court by Alex Weller of Nigel Weller & Co.
CONVICTED (2021) | Carl Knowles, born c. 1989, of 111 Halbutt Street, Dagenham RM9 5AP – banned from keeping animals indefinitely after a pony was found starved and unable to move
Knowles pleaded guilty to one offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a pony by failing to ensure he received appropriate veterinary care for his poor condition.
RSPCA inspector Jessica Dayes and animal rescue officer Rebecca Yarrow joined police in Harlow on December 14, 2020, where they found 18-month-old gelding, Max, collapsed.
Insp Dayes said the pony was not making any attempt to stand because he was so weak. He was laid down with his front legs tucked under his body.
According to the RSPCA, Max’s hips and spine were visible and there was a pile of faeces behind him showing he had been in the same position for some time.
Bread had been placed before him, but it was wet and not eaten. The only water was muddy and in a purple bucket.
Max was seized by police and given pain relief by a vet. He had open pressure sores on both elbows and the space between his front legs. Skin lesions on the limbs and both points of the elbow had deep, ulcerated wounds.
When Max was examined at an animal hospital, the vet decided to put him to sleep on humane grounds to prevent him suffering further.
Insp Dayes said: “The vet report stated it was unacceptable for any equine to be left collapsed, without the ability to move freely for days without seeking further professional advice.
“The emaciation should also have been investigated and treated. Appropriate treatment should have been sought for the pain and discomfort caused by the wounds.
“All of Max’s conditions should have led any reasonable owner to seek immediate veterinary care.”
In mitigation, Knowles argued a vet was called but he could not afford the cost of treatment.
Sentencing: 18-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months; 150 hours of unpaid work; ordered to pay £628 in costs and charges. Disqualified from keeping animals and cannot appeal for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2020) | Stefan Wallace, born 14 April 1995, previously of Whalebone Lane South, Dagenham RM8 1BA, but at time of publishing c/o HMP Pentonville – tortured a cat before butchering her to death
Sicko: Police believe Stefan Wallace may have harmed a number of animals in recent years
Twisted Stefan Wallace tortured a pet cat with spray paint before killing her in an incredibly cruel and disturbing attack.
Wallace was originally arrested by Met Police officers on Thursday, October 1, 2020, for being in possession of a machete in a public place.
During the arrest he made worrying comments about ‘butchering’ a cat.
Police investigated the claim and, working with mental health professionals, watched footage found on a flash drive at Wallace’s home showing him torturing a cat with spray paint before finally killing her.
PC Tony Kiddle said: “The footage found at Wallace’s address was disturbing in the extreme. During the filming, he removes his mask to adjust the camera, clearly confirming his identity.”
Police fear Wallace has killed a number of animals.
“Given the vast number of ways that domestic pets, roaming freely, can come to harm, it would be difficult to put a number of the level of his offending,” PC Kiddle added.
“But, given the content of his home footage, I believe that it is likely that he has played a sinister part in the deaths of a number of animals in recent years.
“Wallace has exhibited horrifyingly cruel behaviour and it is reassuring to know that he has been removed to a place where he can cause no further harm to beloved pets.”
Sentencing: jailed for six months. Disqualified from owning or keeping any animals for 10 years.
CONVICTED (2018) | Teresa Wade, born 04/05/1959 of Ship Lane Travellers Site, Aveley, South Ockendon RM15 4HQ, and Victoria Montgomery, born 05/12/1961 of Marne Road, Dagenham (previously Melford Avenue, Barking, London IG11) – kept dogs and puppies in dire conditions at a puppy farm in Essex.
Cruel and deceitful puppy farmers Teresa Wade (left) and Victoria Montgomery duped customers into thinking their puppies were home bred. The reality was quite different
Wade and Montgomery, who are Irish travellers and part of a notorious gang of puppy dealers with previous convictions, both pleaded guilty partway through a trial for a string of animal welfare offences. The pair admitted keeping dogs and puppies in dirty, unsuitable conditions following an RSPCA investigation.
The animal charity launched an initiative called Operation Excel to investigate the breeding and selling of puppies in Essex in 2014 after receiving numerous calls from members of the public who had bought puppies that had become extremely sick or, in some cases, even died.
When the RSPCA and police executed a warrant at the Ship Lane travellers site in Essex – and two other residential addresses, one in Essex and one in London – officers found 76 dogs and puppies, including poodles, cocker spaniels and some of the popular designer crossbreed types such as cavachons, cockerpoos and golden doodles.
RSPCA officers found 76 dogs and puppies, including poodles, cocker spaniels, cavachons and cockerpoos at Ship Lane travellers site. The dogs were advertised as being ‘home-reared’, but were actually kept in small cages in dark sheds at the site.
The dogs were seized and placed into the RSPCA’s care and a number of pregnant bitches went on to have 27 puppies in the charity’s centres. Of the 103 dogs in total, four sadly died, but courts ordered for the remaining 99 dogs to be rehomed ahead of the court hearing.
RSPCA inspector Carroll Lamport, who led the investigation, said: “After a number of calls from people who had bought puppies that had fallen ill we became suspicious of a gang who appeared to be selling a large number of puppies.
“The dogs were being bred on an industrial scale at a site in Aveley and were kept in disgusting conditions in makeshift kennels and pens in outbuildings.
“When it was time to sell the puppies – for hundreds of pounds each – they would be moved to two houses being used as front addresses to sell the puppies from. The staged houses to gave the impression that the dogs were much-loved family pets. The reality was far from that.
“These dogs were kept in dark, damp pens covered in filth. They were in terrible conditions, riddled with worms and fleas, with matted, dirty coats. Many of them were extremely poorly with campylobacter and giardia – both serious and potentially deadly parasitic illnesses.”
RSPCA investigations determined that while many of the dogs were being bred on-site, a number of puppies were also being imported from abroad.
“These dogs were being kept in horrendous conditions, it must have been hell for them,” inspector Lamport added.
“Sadly, we lost a few of the pups but, thanks to the wonderful dedication of our animal centre staff and fosterers, the rest have all flourished and are now happy, healthy dogs in loving homes.
“Many of them still carry the scars – both mental and physical – from this part of their life, though. Some have ongoing health problems caused by the conditions they were kept in while others have developed behavioural issues because they were not properly socialised as pups.”
“It’s clear that this gang didn’t have a care in the world for the welfare of these dogs. All they saw when they looked into their dark, sad eyes was a way to make thousands and thousands of pounds.”
Sentencing: Teresa Wade pleaded guilty to three animal welfare offences and was given a five-month prison term, suspended for 11 months. She was also ordered to pay £500 in costs and a £115 victim surcharge. She was disqualified from keeping dogs for 10 years.
Victoria Montgomery admitted one animal welfare offence and was given a three-month jail term, suspended for 11 months, and was also ordered to pay £500 in costs and a £115 victim surcharge. No ban on keeping animals was imposed by the court.
CONVICTED (2016) | Tony Barbara, born 23/09/1964, of 31 High Street, Newmilns, East Ayrshire KA16 9EB – a convicted dog fighter who defied his ban on keeping dogs and went on to commit further cruelty offences
In February 2013 Tony Barbara was convicted of training pit bull terriers for illegal fights. Barbara had trained two pit bull terriers called Elaine and Susie and a bull terrier called Gerald for fighting and subjected two of the animals to a catalogue of suffering. He also attempted to carry out DIY treatment on their injuries in case his actions were discovered by the authorities.
Barbara previously kept a pitbull terrier named Elaine, who had untreated eye and teat injuries
Barbara, who was linked to the Essex underworld, moved to Scotland after receiving a suspended jail sentence and 10-year dog ban.
He resumed his activities within months but was arrested after the Scottish SPCA raided his home in November 2014 and found two injured pit bulls and equipment linked to the illegal activity.
Barbara was found guilty of six charges including breaching the Dangerous Dogs Act by keeping two female pit bull terriers for fighting, having syringes and medications, possessing “breaking sticks” for fights and causing the animals unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate care and treatment.
His solicitor, James Arrol, said heavily-tattooed Barbara was “a man who has a number of psychiatric and health difficulties”.
Scottish SPCA inspector Hannah Medley said Barbara spoke “freely and openly”, using dog-fighting terminology and explaining the terms and rules.
Ms Medley added: “He told us he had been dog-fighting for the last 20 to 30 years and had only seen one dog die, and that when a dog was dying it was still wagging its tail when it died.”
Ms Medley said Barbara described the “etiquette of dog fighting” and used its terminology, such as scratch lines, pits and coming up to scratch.
“He was talking about dog breeds and his fascination with bull breeds”, she said, adding Barbara described knowing vets who would teach how to treat injuries and self-medicate dogs.
After his arrest, Barbara gave “no comment” responses when asked why he had veterinary medication used specifically to treat dog injuries and syringes containing milky liquid.
He also refused to comment on whether the dogs had been identified as American Pit Bull terriers, which are strictly regulated, and attributed scars and injuries to “dives into bushes after rabbits”.
Police and animal welfare inspectors found a “flesh stapler”, a training “flirt pole” and notebooks with accounts of the fights at his previous home in Dagenham, Essex, in 2011, his earlier trial heard.
Sentencing: Jailed for 8 months and banned from keeping dogs for life.
CONVICTED (2016) | Michael James Porter, born 17/10/1963, of Fuller Road, Dagenham RM8 2TT – starved a Shar-Pei in his care over several days before attacking him with a pole and a knife; neglected his own tumour-riddled border collie, who was found starved and dying at his house.
Violent dog abuser Michael James Porter of Fuller Rd, Dagenham, and his helpless victim. Sharpei Sam
Porter hit brown Shar-Pei Sam with a pole and seriously injured him with a machete-style knife on 14 September 2015. The attack was witnessed by a horrified neighbour who banged on the window to stop Porter.
The judge told the court: “He [the witness] said you were saying you wanted to kill the dog because it had bitten you.”
Porter denied carrying out the assault and said he had punched Sam in self-defence after the dog had clamped on his arm. But the court heard yesterday how three thick black lacerations found near the dog’s jaw were consistent with knife injuries, not punches. Porter had a small scratch on the arm that he alleged was bitten.
Porter, who was looking after Sam for relatives for a two-week period, was found guilty of causing and failing to prevent unnecessary suffering of an animal. He was also found guilty of not ensuring the welfare of the pet, who put on 2kg in just 13 days when he was taken to kennels after his ordeal.
Prior to the trial, Porter pleaded guilty to a fourth charge of not ensuring his own pet Candy’s welfare. He failed to take the female border collie to a vet, despite the fact she was clearly in pain and was found to have several tumours. The dog, who was found collapsed on the kitchen floor, had to be put to sleep to end her suffering.
Porter smirked at Sam’s distraught owners as an animal welfare officer described details of their pet’s injuries to the court. Sam suffered deep cuts to his mouth and muzzle, which required stitches, as well as lacerations to his ears. Already wary of people, the unprovoked attack has left Sam fearful and nervous.
Sentence | 22 weeks in jail, suspended for one year; 200 hours of unpaid work. Banned for life from ever owning a dog
CONVICTED (2014) | backyard breeder Joanne Terry, born 03/07/1981, of 10 Winfields, Pitsea, Basildon SS13 1HQ – involved in dog-fighting, severe animal neglect, two dogs dead.
Joanne Terry, formerly of Third Avenue, Dagenham, was convicted and banned for life from owning any animal after being found guilty of animal cruelty offences. One of the dogs was in such a poor condition that he had to be put to sleep.
Despite the appalling nature of her crimes, Terry escaped a prison sentence.
Barking and Dagenham’s Street Enforcement team visited Terry’s home on 1 October 2013 when neighbours raised concerns. There they found two dogs attacking a dead dog in the rear garden. That dog had been killed in a dog fight.
During the visit, the officers also found a litter of eight bulldog-type dogs. The officers were concerned about the welfare and condition of the puppies so applied for a warrant to seize the dogs.
On 4 October 2013, the officers, dog warden and police recovered the eight puppies. The officers heard whining and found two emaciated adult bulldogs and recovered them as well.
All adult dogs and puppies were examined by a local vet but the adult male was so badly neglected that he had to be put to sleep. Following the conviction, the court gave custody of the dogs to the Council for rehoming.
Sentence: eight-week suspended prison sentence, £380 fine for animal cruelty, life ban on owning any animal.
Source (removed) Barking and Dagenham Post
We collate data on animal cruelty convictions in the UK
