Man jailed over dog attacks on cats and badgers

A man who filmed his dogs killing cats and badgers has been jailed for 10 months and banned from keeping animals for life.

Welfare officers described the footage recorded by John Dysart as “some of the worst, most deliberate cruelty we have encountered” after he was sentenced yesterday (18 September).

Alloa’s Sheriff Court was earlier told that veterinary medicines used to treat dogs injured in fights had also been found at his home.

Offences

Dysart, 31, admitted offences including causing unnecessary suffering, keeping or training dogs for fights and owning equipment designed or adapted for use in animal fights.

The case against him was brought following a Scottish SPCA investigation which began in March last year.

The charity said it had received “numerous” calls about Dysart posting videos of his dogs killing a cat in the Alloa area, one of which was shared directly with them.

Mobile footage

The court also heard five videos showing cats and badgers being attacked by dogs were found on a mobile phone, BBC News reported.

In mitigation, Dysart claimed that the dogs would go for other animals while hunting rabbits.

But, passing sentence, Sheriff Neil Bowie said Dysart had committed “very significant cruelty towards defenceless and protected animals, apparently for your senseless gratification”.

SSPCA chief executive Mark Bishop later praised the work of his officers on what he described as a “particularly harrowing” case.

He added: “Animal abuse has no place in our society and only together, with people across Scotland, can we stop it.”