Man sentenced for brutally killing pet dog

A man who hit his own dog over the head with a hammer before fatally stabbing her has been barred from keeping animals indefinitely.

Glenn Tweedie, 64, had claimed the black Labrador, named Caillie, had been in pain from her reproductive cycle and he could not afford veterinary care for her.

But Scottish SPCA officers said he had caused her suffering “in the most unimaginable way” after a post-mortem examination revealed no sign of distress from the reproductive system.

Tweedie, of Loanhead, Midlothian, was given a 12-month restriction of liberty order and 18-month supervision order at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday (28 October).

Guilty plea

He had previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of causing unnecessary suffering.

The SSPCA said its officers were initially alerted in September last year following reports of a dog being heard “screaming” at a house in Loanhead.

When they attended, they were met by Tweedie who initially claimed Caillie had been taken to a vet due to reproductive pain and euthanised a few days earlier.

However, when told they would contact the practice to verify his story, Tweedie then admitted he had killed the dog himself, stating he could not afford the treatment. A second dog was also seized.

Under caution

While under caution, he said he had struck Caillie twice over the head with a hammer before stabbing her and puncturing her lung.

The SSPCA said this effectively left her to drown in her own blood before being taken to a nearby wood, where she was buried in a shallow grave.

A pathologist subsequently concluded her suffering only began when she was attacked by Tweedie.

An SSPCA inspector who investigated the incident said: “Tweedie wrongly claimed Caillie was in immense pain, but in fact it was he who caused his animal to suffer in the most unimaginable way – both physically and mentally.

“To then dump Caillie in a ditch shows Tweedie’s complete lack of remorse and how little regard he has for animals.”