A 26-year-old Australian man has been banned from owning dogs for three years after he was filmed brutally beating his pet bulldog.
The attack, which lasted about five minutes, took place last August in the town of Katanning, in the southwest of the country, according to the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Western Australia.
A member of the public contacted the police after seeing the man kicking, punching and choking the dog—as well as throwing a bottle at the pet—outside a supermarket in the town.
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The incident was also captured on CCTV, with the footage helping police officers to identify the offender.
In the CCTV clip, the two-year-old American bulldog, who is named Red, can be seen cowering from the man but also, at times, crawling towards him while trying to avoid kicks and punches.
At one point in the video, the man can be seen throwing a bottle at Red before stepping over a bench to stomp on him.
Shortly after the attack was reported, an RSCPA inspector visited the man's home and seized Red, who remains in the care of the charity.
The 26-year-old man appeared at Katanning Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he received a nine-month community-based order as well as the three-year ban.
RSCPA inspector manager Kylie Green said in a statement that the CCTV footage was difficult to watch.
"It's plain to see how scared Red is but, like many dogs, he still wants to do as he's told and please his owner so comes crawling back," Green said.
"This was a blatant and sickening act of violence and a clear abuse of power. There is never an excuse to intentionally hurt an animal and I'm glad we've helped get some justice for Red today."
This is not the only case of dog abuse that has made the news in recent weeks.
In December, a man who stabbed his girlfriend's dog with nail scissors was banned from owning animals for 10 years.
Declan Milne, 22, from Edinburgh in Scotland, pleaded guilty to inflicting 14 stab wounds on the dog, a 4-year-old black Labrador called Max.
Following an investigation by the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Milne was charged with causing Max unnecessary suffering, according to a statement from the animal welfare charity.
A judge also handed Milne a four-month restriction of liberty order—which requires him to remain at home from 7:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.—and ordered him to complete 200 hours of community service.
Stock image of an American bulldog. A 26-year-old Australian man has been banned from owning dogs for three years after he was filmed attacking his pet American bulldog (not pictured). Stock image of an American bulldog. A 26-year-old Australian man has been banned from owning dogs for three years after he was filmed attacking his pet American bulldog (not pictured). iStock
