Man who beat five-month-old puppy with a belt gets lifetime animal ban
A man has been banned from keeping animals for life after he beat his pet puppy with a belt because he had ripped up a cushion.
Joshua Higgins had only had the five-month-old dog for two weeks when he punished him for destroying a cushion and urinating inside by hitting him with the belt.
Young Staffordshire bull terrier Tyson was so scared he defecated on the floor as he was being beaten, while he yelped so loud that a member of public heard and alerted police.
The puppy was left swollen, scared and with an ear full of blood as a result of the attack which - Higgins admitted to police - happened on January 3 last year.
The 21-year-old, of Bescot Street, Walsall, was handed a life-time disqualification from keeping animals at Birmingham Magistrates Court yesterday, where he was also ordered to pay £585 costs and do 100 hours of unpaid work.
Higgins had been found guilty in his absence of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog at a hearing in June last year.
As he did not turn up to court for the earlier hearing, a warrant was made for his arrest and as a result he appeared in court for sentencing yesterday.
Charlotte Melvin, who investigated the case for the RSPCA, said: "A member of the public could hear the terrified yelping of a dog inside the house, and contacted the police - who contacted us as soon as possible.
"Higgins admitted to the police that he beat his dog - a five-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier named Tyson - with his belt because the dog had destroyed a cushion and urinated inside the house while he was out.
"Higgins had only had Tyson for two weeks when the incident happened. It really is so sad that he went through this, as he is such a loving dog.
"He was clearly very frightened during the attack, and when he first came into the RSPCA's care he was very nervous, especially around men.
"Thankfully he seems to have got his confidence back and is now a different dog."
Tyson has since been happily rehomed.
