Calls to Scottish SPCA helpline soar to record high of 250,000
JAMES HAMILTON
offenders was Tony Barbara, 51, of Newmilns, Ayrshire, who kept two banned pitbull breeds for fighting.
He was jailed for eight months and barred for life from owning a dog after a Scottish SPCA investigation.
Barbara had been found guilty of possessing a pair of “pitbull terrier types” which it is illegal to own under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. He
One of the starving dogs found by inspectors at The Ayrshire Ark. was also convicted of keeping the dogs for the purposes of a dogfight, causing unnecessary suffering to the dogs by inflicting continuous injury through dogfighting and being in possession of equipment designed or adapted for use at an animal fight. In addition, he was found guilty of breaching a previous 10-year ban on keeping dogs in 2013.
Another offender was Robert Brownlie, 38, of Newmains, Wishaw, who pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering by failing to provide protection from disease, namely canine parvo virus, to two Cockapoo puppies, as well as failing to provide a Cockapoo puppy with veterinary treatment.
He was banned from owning and keeping animals for life, as well as receiving a community pay back order of 240 hours unpaid work. A Scottish SPCA inspector said: “This sentence sends out a strong message to anyone who is involved in the puppy trade that the courts are taking these activities seriously.”
Another horrific case involved Keith Ross, 26, from Motherwell who admitted causing animals unnecessary suffering.
He had a large number of snakes, lizards, scorpions and turtles, which were being kept in
The animals were kept in appalling conditions. appalling conditions. Ross even had a business where he charged £80 per hour for attending children’s party’s with lizards and snakes.
He was jailed for a total of 18 months – six months for animal welfare charges and 12 months for failing to have a licence and endangering members of the public – and handed a 10-year disqualification on keeping animals.