Man sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after kicking and burning his dog

A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and banned from keeping animals for life after he kicked his dog and squeezed its neck.

Man sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after kicking and burning his dog

A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and banned from keeping animals for life after he kicked his dog and squeezed its neck.

The man, with an address at Mountcharles, Letterkenny, Co Donegal brutally attacked his innocent Yorkshire terrier dog in January, according to the ISPCA.

The animal charity said a witness shouted at the man before he picked up the dog and walked away.

He returned ten minutes later without the dog.

The ISPCA responded to a complaint made to the National Animal Cruelty helpine and discovered the dead dog in a plastic kennel.

The inspector, Kevin McGinley, saw that the dog had an injury to the face and its back appeared to be burned.

Inspector McGinley found what appeared to be "a coal substance" had burned the dogs hair.

The owner said he had found his dog dead at the rear of his property.

Garda Sergeant Oliver Devenney told the court how the dog had been found and it had severe scorch marks on its body.

The accused said: "I've killed Buttons due to my drinking and drugs. I loved this dog with all my heart and I couldn't imagine hurting her. I didn't mean to kill her but this was a week of destruction and my medication was not working".

An examination at Donegal Veterinary Clinic was carried out on the dog’s remains, which later confirmed that the dog had died from a ruptured liver as a result of blunt force trauma.

The barrister for the accused said that his client had been addicted to tablets and had received psychiatric treatment at St Conal’s Psychiatric Unit in Letterkenny for two days.

He said his father had died when he was just 12 months old and that he had left school at 16 and was barely able to read or write.

The barrister, Mr Peter Nolana added: “He destroyed the only thing he loved.”

Judge John Aylmer said: “It was clear that the accused is a person in need of significant treatment for his addictions and sentenced him to two and a half years in jail for making threats to kill, a further 18 months for cruelty to animals and nine months for the criminal damage of his apartment."

He also ordered that all sentences are to run concurrently and suspended the last 12 months of the case while backdating the sentence to February when the accused entered Castlerea Prison.

Judge Aylmer also made an order that the accused seek the necessary treatment for his addictions as part of his order.

The judge also banned the man, who had 33 previous convictions for a range of offences including public order, theft and criminal damage, from keeping animals for life.

ISPCA Inspector McGinley said it was "a horrendous form of animal cruelty".

"Pet owners have a legal responsibility to care for their pets appropriately and, if they fail in this responsibility, they will be prosecuted," he said.

"This is the third custodial sentence imposed under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 recently, two of which were in Co Donegal," he added.

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