Woman banned from keeping animals for 10 years after "cruel" attack on "bull breed type" dog

Jamey McCusker, 23, was caught on two short video clips attacking the bitch called Storm after she’d “reached the end of her tether”, Hull Magistrates heard. Prosecuting for the RSPCA, Philip Brown, said McCusker was seen “interacting with Storm in a very aggressive manner”.

On the first clip she was seen shouting at the dog, which was backed up against a wall and cowering, and throwing a wooden object – some kind of kitchen implement – which struck the dog on its side. The second showed a more agitated McCusker “striking the dog with a foot in a kicking, stamping motion”.

Humberside Police assessed the “bull breed type” dog and while she wasn’t inherently dangerous or aggressive, she was put down because she was a banned breed. Mitigating, Richard Drew said McCusker had made multiple efforts to find the “big and powerful” dog a new home but she’d reached the end of her tether. The videos were “a cry for help”. She’d bought the dog from a friend and wasn’t aware of its true breed.

Chairman of the bench Lynda Carmichael said her actions were “cruel, unnecessary and unprovoked”. McCusker, from Hull, who admitted causing unnecessary suffering at an earlier hearing, was given an eight week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. She has to pay costs of £528 and is banned from owning any animal for 10 years, with a minimum of five before she can apply for the order to be revoked.