Luton man who abused chihuahua handed a suspended sentence and ten year pet ban

Jordan Patrick Scoon, 28, of Beadlow Road, was also handed a suspended prison sentence at Luton Magistrates Court on December 15.

RSPCA Inspector Lauren Bailey began an investigation after being sent a video which showed Scoon pick up four-year-old chihuahua Milo by his tail and body and then drop him numerous times in Victoria Street, Dunstable.

Milo's owner found him unresponsive in her garden and took him to a vet for treatment. She had no idea what had happened to her dog until she was shown the video by the RSPCA inspector several days later.

Vets performed a neurological examination on Milo, who could not walk unaided after suffering seizures. They found that his response to stimuli was abnormal and he did not show any interest in his environment and that his head was turned to the right.

During the examination, the vet also noticed that Milo had poor vision and localised the problem in the forebrain, concluding that traumatic brain injury was the most likely cause of all the symptoms.

Unfortunately Milo’s condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive supportive treatment from vets and he sadly died 13 days after the traumatic event.

In mitigation, it was said Scoon was remorseful and accepts he should never have handled Milo in the way he did.

Alongside the ten year ban from owning animals, which can not be appalled for five years, Scoon was sentenced to eight weeks custody suspended for 12 months for the animal welfare offence

He was also sentenced to eight weeks custody, suspended for 12 months, for an unrelated matter, which will run consecutively to the eight weeks for the animal welfare offence, with 16 custody weeks, suspended for 12 months, in total.

Magistrates also ordered that he completed 30 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR), complete the Building Better Relationships (BBR) programme for 32 sessions, and pay a total of £1,492.