Fighting dogs patched up with glue

A Black Country underground "vet" who used Super Glue to seal the wounds suffered by pit bulls in back street brawls has admitted training the animals for illegal dog fighting.

A treadmill and other equipment was found at the Walsall home of Clayton Beard, known locally as the "dog man", who crudely patched up the stricken animals, including a pit bull.

The dog, called Lee, had suffered 70 wounds.

Beard forced them through a cruel daily training schedule to build up their stamina.

A shocking video taken by RSPCA inspectors who swooped on Beard's home after a tip-off, showed three dogs who were all injured during fights. One animal had more than 70 wounds, the most recent having been acquired in the last10 days, RSPCA prosecutor Nicholas Sutton told Walsall Magistrates Court yesterday.

He told the court: "Another had 35 wounds and one had 24. At some point these animals had been in some sort of fight."

"He was training animals for dog fighting and fixing these dogs for people."

A card containing a rigorous training programme known as a "keep" was also found. It detailed a typical day for the dogs as being a six mile walk in the morning followed by a 15 minute stint on the treadmill.

Mr Sutton said: "The animals would be matched by weight and then put against another dog. Then people would bet money."

A stash of medicines and Super Glue to stick wounds together were found under the sink, so they "didn't have to take them to vets - and avoid suspicion".

Beard, aged 24, of Cannon Street, Ryecroft, admitted four charges.

He admitted owning two male and one female pit bulls, causing unnecessary suffering to one of the dogs called Lee, possessing animal fighting equipment and keeping or training the dogs for fighting purposes.

Beard is due to be sentenced on April 15.