A MAN from Hall Green has been jailed for 27 months and banned from keeping animals for 15 years after violently attacking his English bulldog Babaloo, who died soon after.
In a case brought by the RSPCA, David Bernard, of Priory Road pleaded guilty to inflicting blunt force trauma on the dog, resulting in non-accidental injuries.
Bernard, who cannot appeal his 15 year animal ban for three years, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on June 3.
On August 13 2024, officers from the animal welfare charity were shown a dead dog, named Babaloo, by vets. They were informed that the dog’s owner, Bernard, had brought in his body earlier that day.
Veterinary staff had seen that the dog was bleeding from the nose, mouth and anus.
Following subsequent enquiries, witnesses reported that they had seen Bernard being physically and verbally aggressive to Babaloo the evening before, and had confronted him about this. Later, they were told that the dog had died.
RSPCA Insp Laura Brewerton said: “I observed him to have a lot of blood around his head and face, which was also very swollen. His rear end was also very red and swollen.”
The police seized the dog’s body and Inspector Brewerton arranged for a post mortem to be carried out on Babaloo.
Commenting on the post mortem and evidence from various witnesses, independent veterinary expert witness Dr Sean Taylor said: “The findings suggest the dog was subjected to multiple forceful impacts shortly before death, causing the bruising to the subcutis and underlying skeletal muscles as well as injury to the liver resulting in bleeding into the abdomen and also likely caused injury to the kidneys.
“Forceful impacts to areas of the chest likely caused a compromised lung function with concurrent shock and resultant lung collapse in an already anatomically abnormal respiratory system.
Dr Taylor explained that although Babaloo was ‘brachycephalic’ – a condition where an animal’s respiratory system is narrowed – there were no clinical signs suggesting that the dog had been adversely affected by this.
He added: “The condition often leaves little room for respiratory compromise to be tolerated.
“In this case the evidence indicates that Babaloo had sustained multiple blunt force trauma injuries to his chest and abdomen that would have caused pain as well as causing injury to the liver and kidneys resulting in internal bleeding into the abdomen.”
He concluded that the blunt force trauma sustained by Babaloo was the cause of death via a mechanism of respiratory compromise and eventual failure.
In sentencing, Her Honour Judge (HHJ) Sarah Jayne Buckingham said that “having a pet in home is a privilege” and that “all pets are entirely dependent on owners for safety and care”.
She added that Bernard had Babaloo from when he was a puppy and he was a loyal, loving and vulnerable pet who trusted his owner.
She said during sentencing that 27 months immediate custody was a necessary “sign and deterrent that when people treat animals cruelly and leads to death they can expect custody”.
In mitigation, Bernard’s legal team said it was a one off and he was struggling with health issues.
Insp Brewerton said after the case: “This was an horrific attack on a defenceless dog and this kind of behaviour is never acceptable.
“It was a particularly harrowing case to deal with knowing how much Babaloo must have suffered during the beatings that led to his death.”
