CONVICTED (2021) | Shawn Geoffrey Power, born 6 April 1979, of Addlestone Road, Addlestone, Surrey, but with strong links to the Cobham area – attacked his two dogs in front of witnesses
Officers were called to Morrisons in Woking on Thursday 6 August 2020 after a man was seen “beating his dogs up and throwing them around and stuffing them into bags.”
Eyewitnesses told police that they saw the suspect chasing after a small brown dog who had run off from him outside Morrisons. He threw his backpack at one of the dogs, which hit her, then picked the dog up and started strangling and punching her whilst swearing at her.
When members of the public intervened, the man started shouting and swearing at them, before he eventually walked off, stuffing the dog into his backpack and zipping it up.
Police located Power nearby on Goldsworth Road, and he was arrested on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, not meeting an animal’s needs, and public order.
The two dogs, Bruno and Kizzy, were seized under Section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. They were taken to a vet and examined. Their coat condition was poor and the vet was able to confirm animal welfare offences against Kizzy for strangulation and placing her in a bag on a hot day, and against Bruno for allowing him to run in and out of traffic.
Power was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, subject to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act, relating to strangling Kizzy. He was also found guilty of two counts of not meeting the needs of a protected animal subject to Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act, relating to not providing the correct environment for the dogs by putting Kizzy in the bag and allowing Bruno to run into the road.
Within a few days of the court result Bruno and Kizzy were rehomed, and are now living a happy life with a new owner.
Sentencing: fined £200; deprivation order on the dogs. Disqualified from keeping dogs for five years (expires June 2026).
