A man who was filmed by a doorbell camera mistreating his dog in North West London has received a three year ban from owning animals after a prosecution by the RSPCA.
Ceetal Mattoo (D.o.B 24/3/1982), of Woodhouse Close, Hayes, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the needs of a female bulldog called Poppy were met contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006. He appeared for sentencing on March 20 at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
As well as the disqualification, the defendant was handed a 12-month community order under which he has to complete 80 hours of unpaid work. He also has to pay £400 court costs and a victim surcharge of £114.
The court was told the RSPCA investigated reports from witnesses that Poppy had been attacked by her owner. Accompanied by police, RSPCA Inspector Mike Beaman seized the dog and took her to be assessed by a vet at RPSCA Finsbury Park Hospital on July 11 last year.
One piece of footage from a doorbell camera presented to the court showed the dog being dragged along Pinkwell Lane in Hayes. There were two clips of camera footage showing the dog being kicked and a witness said he saw the dog being kicked by her owner and dragged by the lead.
A vet who examined the six-year-old dog said she suffered from mild lameness and there was swelling to the inside of a leg and below an elbow as well as some minor skin lesions, although he concluded these were the signs of degenerative disease. He treated the dog with pain killers.
The vet concluded that even if the defendant’s mistreatment of the dog had not caused lasting injuries it would still have been painful for her and he added: “Poppy did appear to have a clear fear response in the presence of her owner which she did not exhibit elsewhere. These included repeatedly trying to move away or hide away from the owner and cowering with her tail held low.”
In mitigation, it was said that Mattoo, who signed the dog’s ownership over to the RSPCA, had been experiencing mental health issues. Poppy has since been rehomed by the animal charity.
Speaking after the sentencing, Inspector Beaman said: “Poppy’s mental wellbeing was clearly affected by the way she was treated by her owner and she appeared to be a very reactive dog. These problems could have been avoided by appropriate handling by her owner and her behaviour while she was in our care showed she is not fearful of people when handled in a caring and appropriate manner.”
