Man killed dog after ‘barbaric’ attacks which left him with 25 fractures on ribs
A man who killed his pet dog after inflicting ‘some of the worst injuries’ the RSPCA had ever seen in ‘barbaric and torturous’ attacks has been jailed.
Andrew MacKay left Bonzo to suffer from at least 25 rib fractures for four months, Blackpool Magistrates Court heard.
They grey crossbreed also had an eye socket and cheek fracture, a ruptured windpipe and injuries to his face after four incidents in Lancashire two years ago.
MacKay, 30, took his pet to a vets in Garstang on December 23, 2019, where he claimed he had tripped over the dog and caused the injuries with his 18 stone weight.
But the vet – who was unable to save Bonzo’s life desperate attempts to resuscitate him – suspected that the pet had died as a result of abuse and reported it to the RSPCA.
Further investigations later revealed the dog had suffered so many fractures that vets were unable to determine exactly how many he had suffered, the court heard.
During sentencing, the magistrate described the attacks as ‘barbaric and torturous’ and said Bonzo’s treatment was ‘prolonged and deliberate’.
They added that Mackay’s partner Nicole Logan was aware of the injuries but failed to seek veterinary treatment for the dog, who was left suffering.
MacKay, of Poulton-le-Fylde, was found guilty of four animal welfare charges and was jailed for 18 weeks.
Logan, 27 and also of Poulton-le-Fylde, was found guilty of two animal welfare offences and handed a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.
The pair were both banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
Inspector Will Lamping, who attended the address with the police, said: ‘The injuries caused to Bonzo were some of the worst I’ve seen.
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‘The image of his broken body will stay with me for a long time.’
During the investigation, Logan told officers that Bonzo had punctured his lung while running through bushes.
MacKay then contacted the RSPCA himself and claimed that he had injured Bonzo by standing on him and falling over while Logan was at work.
But an independent veterinary expert told the court that the injuries could not have been caused by a fall but that Bonza had been subjected to a series of abusive episodes.
They concluded that the attacks, which Bonzo suffered on four separate occasions, were most likely caused by blunt force trauma.
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