Danger-dog breeder gets ban cut

A man who was barred from keeping animals for 10 years after breeding "the ultimate fighting dog" has had his ban cut by a third on appeal.

But Qamar Shamim, who last month was found guilty of possessing an illegal Japanese tosa, lost a bid to get it back.

The unemployed 31-year-old from Smethwick had the 10-year disqualification order reduced

to seven years and an order to pay £3,000

compensation slashed to £1,000.

He appeared before Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday to challenge the sentence

delivered by Warley Magistrates Court in August.

He had been given a 20-week prison term,

suspended for 12 months, after admitting three counts of keeping breeds banned under the

Dangerous Dogs Act.

One of the animals was an 11st Japanese tosa, the first of its kind seized in the country since the legislation came into force 18 years ago. Police dog handlers PC Keith Evans and PC Owen Evitts had told the magistrates court it was "the ultimate fighting dog". The others were two pit-bull terriers.

Shamim, of Edgbaston Road, had also been ordered to do 150 hours' unpaid work and pay £3,300, including £3,000 towards kennelling costs for the animals that had been seized last December.

But Mr Roger Thomas, representing him, said Shamim received only £98 a fortnight jobseeker's allowance and could not afford the kennel fees.

He said: "For someone on benefits this was an extremely steep fine."

Mr Elliot Soulsby, responding to the appeal, said: "The RSPCA had previously been called to the address in 2006 when the defendant's brother was found to be keeping dangerous dogs. He was banned for 10 years and the defendant took over running the kennel."

Judge Martin Walsh said he would not hear the appeal on the basis of Shamim's request to have the tosa, called Conan, back because he had not obtained an exemption to the Dangerous Dogs Act which banned the breed.

Sitting with two magistrates, the judge said: "Because the appellant is on benefit, and for that purpose only, we reduce the compensation to £1,000 because to make him pay £3,000 would take too long to discharge.

"There is no evidence that the dogs were illtreated or abused in any way."