A man who was caught on video abusing his pet dog has been banned from keeping dogs for a decade. 

Keith Williams was captured on a Ring doorbell physically attacking his pet Labrador Scooby, which saw him threaten to kill the pet after the dog had gone to the toilet in a street in Middlesbrough.

He was also seen kicking the animal with force and hitting him with the end of a lead five times.

At a sentencing hearing on Tuesday (August 8), Teesside Magistrates' Court heard how footage from two incidents on March 10 and March 17, 2023 was passed to the RSPCA.

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The case was investigated by the animal welfare charity and Williams was prosecuted.

Accompanied by a police officer, magistrates were told that RSPCA inspector Clare Wilson visited Williams’ house in Westmorland Road on March 27 after viewing the footage showing him shouting, kicking and hitting Scooby.

Inspector Wilson said: “We all went into the rear living room of the property. I observed the man who gave his name as Keith Williams.”

“He matched the description given by the witness and the male seen in the footage.

"I could see a black Labrador-type dog in the small rear yard of the property, through the window.

The Northern Echo: Scooby the dog that Williams physically assaulted Scooby the dog that Williams physically assaulted (Image: RSPCA)

"Mr Williams said the dog was called Scooby but he appeared to pause and think before saying this name. 

“I told Mr Williams that I was investigating an incident that had been captured on CCTV relating to him and his dog, which was a suspected criminal offence.”

Scooby, who seemed to respond more to the name Rambo, was seized as evidence by the police and taken by the inspector for a veterinary examination before being placed in a private boarding establishment.

At that point, Williams declined to sign his dog over into the care of the charity and said he wanted him back.

The Northern Echo: Scooby was also attacked using a dog leadScooby was also attacked using a dog lead (Image: RSPCA)

The video footage was passed to a vet who also provided evidence in the case. He said it was his opinion that the defendant had handled the dog inappropriately and caused him to suffer.

“The actions of the owner have caused the dog suffering via pain and fear, even if only for a transient period. The owner also did not protect the dog from injury,” he said.

“Examination by a veterinary surgeon ten days later did not reveal any signs of lameness, bruising or injury to the dog, but these findings do not indicate an absence of injury.

"Blunt force trauma to a dog can result in pain, bruising and injury which may resolve within three to five days. Therefore an examination would not necessarily identify injury and bruising that had occurred ten days earlier.”

As well as the ten-year ban given to Williams, magistrates also sentenced him to a 12-month community order with a requirement to carry out 15 RAR days and ordered him to pay costs of £2,214.  

Speaking after the conclusion of the case, Inspector Wilson said: “The defendant’s behaviour towards his pet was totally unnecessary and unacceptable. Scooby could neither escape nor defend himself from being assaulted and we’re grateful to the person that alerted us and enabled Mr Williams to be held accountable for his actions”. 

Scooby was later signed over into the care of the RSPCA.

He made a full recovery and was transferred to one of the charity’s animal centres to be rehomed.