A man has been banned from keeping animals for five years after violently shaking a small dog to death.
Clynton Hagen pleaded guilty to an animal welfare charge after he forcefully shook the chihuahua called Ollie and caused him to suffered a brain haemorrhage.
He was also ordered to carry out 265 hours of unpaid work.
The dog belonged to his partner, Kara Davies, who came home early from work to Hagen's home in East Calder after being told something had happened to the animal.
When Davies arrived at the property, she found Ollie collapsed and not breathing. She took him immediately to the vet but despite resuscitation attempts, the chihuahua died.
A Scottish SPCA Inspector attended Hagen’s residence after Ollie’s owner reported concerns to the society’s Animal Helpline that Hagen had killed the dog by violent means.
Kara Davies said: “This has been an utterly devastating experience and losing Ollie in such a violent and cruel way is a trauma I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Within an hour of me leaving for work my whole world had shattered. Ollie meant everything to me and was such a deeply loved part of my family.
“While I am relieved there has finally been accountability, I believe serious cases of animal cruelty should result in much stronger and longer sentences and bans on owning and keeping animals.”
Ollie the chihuahua (Image: Scottish SPCA)
The Inspector said: “We welcome the Sheriff’s decision. Hagen’s violent actions caused immense suffering to Ollie and left his owner devastated. He should never be allowed to take care of an animal again and a ban will help ensure he never does at lease for the next five year. I would like to commend Kara Davies for her help and tenacity throughout this very traumatic investigation.
“However, there remains a risk that offenders could go on to reoffend or breach animal ownership bans without being detected. This is why we are calling for a National Animal Offenders Register: a centralised system that would help enforcement agencies identify people who are banned from keeping animals and prevent them from slipping through the gaps. Importantly, animal abuse is often a warning sign for human-related abuse, meaning a joined-up system will help frontline officers spot wider safeguarding risks.”
