Dog’s back broken by its owner before he tried to have him put down

A vile thug who beat up his dog so badly he broke its back before asking vets to put the animal down has been jailed.

Cruel David Owen, 30, owned lurcher Archie for two years and inflicted serious injuries on the animal in that time, a court heard.

After breaking the dog’s back, he phoned the vet claiming Archie had bitten him and asked them to put his dog down.

But vets examining the dog refused and found he showed no signs of aggression but had suffered a wide range of injuries.

This included a suspected ruptured ear canal, severe facial swelling, blood in his urine and a compound fracture to one of his vertebrae.

Owen, from Pool, Cornwall, appeared at Truro Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and failing to meet the needs of an animal.

Prosecuting the case for the RSPCA, Lindi Meyer said that on April 16 Owen rang Cornwall Animal Hospital in Redruth to say the pet had bitten him and needed to be put to sleep.

He claimed Archie lunged for his face and neck and that he had acted in self-defence, describing the force he used as ‘appropriate but not excessive’.

But Ms Meyer said: ‘This was a sustained attack during which the defendant acted in anger.

‘It was an inappropriate method of discipline and instead of asking for help, he asked for the dog to be killed.

‘The RSPCA fears for any animal in his possession.’

Ms Meyer said Archie suffered heavy blows to his neck, face and thorax, and the court was showed a series of images depicting the serious nature of Archie’s injuries.

Defending Owen, Neil Lewin said the defendant is still a young man who has had a troubled upbringing.

He said: ‘He has a complex background and was in a long-term relationship for six years.

‘When the relationship broke down it caused a lot of emotional distress. He didn’t cope well whatsoever.

‘Around the time of this breakdown he got Archie and it appears the time wasn’t right for him to have a pet.

‘Mr Owen has anger management problems and difficult dealing with traumatic experiences.’

Sentencing Owen, district judge Diane Baker said the defendant ‘showed no remorse at all during interview’ and ‘gave a lot of excuses’.

She said: ‘It was a deliberate and sustained unprovoked attack on a dog in your care.

‘The attack caused significant and serious injuries and you tried to argue it was discipline.’

Owen had already been given a suspended sentence at Truro Crown Court for a separate offence so Judge Baker handed Owen an immediate custodial sentence.

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Owen was then given an 18-week prison sentence and told that he must appear at Truro Crown Court for a judge to decide on the activation of the suspended sentence.

He must also pay £500 in costs and is now banned from keeping animals for life.

Archie has since recovered and been re-homed.