Jail for dog-fight man in first Animal Welfare Act case
27 Nov 2008 08:01
A MAN has been jailed for six months for dog fighting offences in the first case of its kind under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Liaquat Ali, 40, of Steiner Street, Accrington, Lancashire, was also banned from keeping animals for life after being convicted of keeping a premises for the purposes of dog fighting, and causing two protected animals, namely dogs, to fight.
He also pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the needs of a pit bull-type dog found emaciated and locked in a wooden box in his back garden with no water, light or ventilation and possessing two further pit bull-type dogs.
The RSPCA and Lancashire police executed a warrant on two properties owned or rented by Mr Ali in June 2007.
At one of them, on Richmond Road, Blackburn, the emaciated dog Enzo was found. He was about half the body weight he should have been. At the other address, a flat on Blackburn Road, Accrington, there was blood on the walls.
DNA proof
DNA and forensic science proved that it had come from more than one dog. Dog-fighting footage on his mobile phone showed Mr Ali fighting a dog.
A further two warrants were executed in March 2008 during which the other two pit bull-type dogs were found.