A Lancashire man has been jailed for 30 months for a 'portfolio' of animal cruelty offences towards a fox and his pet dogs.

Dane Crawford, Lancaster, appeared at Preston Crown Court on 5 February for sentencing alongside his girlfriend, Shelby Wallis, of the identical tackle. 

Both had beforehand pleaded responsible to 4 offences below the Animal Welfare Act. These included failing to deal with their two lurchers' accidents, together with one badly fractured leg, and permitting the ears of two of their bull breeds - Drey and Shakira - to be illegally cropped. 

Crawford additionally admitted inflicting pointless struggling to a fox after setting dogs on the wild animal inside a storage. He was sentenced to a complete of 30 months in jail and ordered to pay £3,500 in direction of prices. He was additionally disqualified from maintaining all animals for all times.

Wallis was handed a three-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to finish 200 hours of unpaid work. She was ordered to pay £2,500 in direction of prices and disqualified from maintaining animals for 10 years. 

Sentencing the couple, Judge Medlund stated that they had proven 'merciless and neglectful behaviour' which precipitated the animals to undergo 'to a considerable diploma'. Addressing Crawford concerning the offences towards the fox, he stated: "Your behaviour was prison and totally stunning."

The RSPCA launched an investigation following studies of puppies having their ears cropped, resulting in a warrant, led by Lancaster Council, being executed by police at a property in Lancaster in February 2022. A lot of dogs have been current however there was no proof of any crimes having been dedicated. 

During the property search, two cell phones have been recovered and given to the charity's Special Operations Unit (SOU) for evaluation, uncovering photos and movies of wildlife being attacked by dogs. This prompted an extra warrant, on 1 November 2022, wherein Lancashire Police arrested Crawford.

A lot of dogs have been discovered on the property, together with two lurchers - referred to as Major and Lassie - with untreated accidents, and bullbreeds with cropped ears. Five dogs have been eliminated and placed into RSPCA care.

Investigators additionally seemed into the pictures and movies from the telephones. Two movies confirmed foxes being set free in confined areas with dogs inspired to attack them.

RSPCA Inspector Will Lamping, who led the investigation, stated after the case: "An picture was recovered displaying Crawford in very distinctive trainers with one in all his dogs, holding a useless fox. We might establish him inside the video of the fox being attacked due to these trainers."

'Traumatic accidents'

A vet assessed the lurchers and bullbreeds after they have been faraway from the home of Crawford and Wallis. She described Major's facial accidents as 'uncommon' and 'traumatic', and suspected they'd been attributable to one other animal not less than 72 hours earlier than. She stated, in her witness assertion, that the proprietor ought to have sought veterinary recommendation. 

She described Lassie's fractured leg as 'a traumatic wound', including: "I'mnot positive the way it occurred however the canine has been left with a really painful leg and the proprietor had not sought well timed veterinary recommendation. As such there was improvement of swelling and extra ache, and an infection."

Inspector Lamping added: "In interview, Crawford informed me he bought the 2 lurchers six weeks earlier than from Appleby. Wallis informed me that the three bull breed dogs have been hers and that they'd been imported."

Lassie and Major have been signed over into the RSPCA's care a number of days after they have been eliminated and, after spending a while receiving therapy, have been each rehomed. The bullbreeds have been signed over at a later date. 

Following the sentencing, Inspector Lamping stated: "This case sends a transparent message to those who select to interact in wildlife persecution and ear cropping that their merciless actions is not going to be tolerated.

"It took many hours to comb by way of the movies and photos on the telephones recovered; however this work uncovered the intense stage of cruelty proven to each the wild animals actually being thrown to the dogs - and to the puppies whose ears have been being mutilated.

"The defendants' personal dogs have been utilized in these assaults and have been left with out vet therapy for severe accidents - together with a fractured leg.

"Both have been handed prolonged bans on maintaining animals, and handed jail or suspended jail sentences, for his or her therapy of animals."