Pet owner who beat dog to death in 'barbaric and tortuous' attack is jailed

A pet owner who killed his dog in a "barbaric and torturous" attack has been jailed for 18 weeks.

Andrew MacKay, 30, left grey crossbreed Bonzo with at least 25 rib fractures, an eye socket fracture, a cheek fracture, ruptured windpipe and injuries to his face.

The court heard how the injuries were "some of the worst" an RSPCA inspector had ever seen and the dog was left suffering for four months.

MacKay, of Pulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, was found guilty of four animal welfare charges and was jailed at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

MacKay took his pet to a vets in Garstang, Lancashire, on 23 December, 2019 where he claimed he had tripped over the dog and fell on him.

The vet was unable to save Bonzo despite desperate attempts to resuscitate him. He suspected the pet had died as a result of abuse and reported the matter to the RSPCA.

Further investigations later revealed Bonzo had suffered so many fractures that vets were unable to determine exactly how many he had, the court heard.

During sentencing, the magistrate described the attacks as "barbaric and torturous" and they were "prolonged and deliberate injuries".

They added MacKay’s partner Nicole Logan, 27, was aware of the injuries but failed to seek veterinary treatment for her dog who was left suffering.

Logan was found guilty of two animal welfare offences and was 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 MacKay’s address with the police, said: “The injuries caused to Bonzo were some of the worst I've seen.

“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 abuse.

They concluded that the attacks, which Bonzo suffered on four separate occasions, were most likely caused by blunt force trauma.

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