RSPCA: Ex-police dog handler sentenced for allowing two dogs to die in his car
Wednesday, 12 October 2011 5:14 PM
A Met Police dog handler has been banned from keeping dogs for three years following the death of his two dogs that he left trapped in his car on a hot day in June.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard today (Wednesday) that on Sunday 26 June Ian Craven, who was at the time a sergeant with the Metropolitan Police, brought his dogs to the Keston Dog Training Centre in Kent.
He was due to spend the day at the Olympic site in London in meetings, so had intended to kennel his dogs – a four-year-old Malinois called Chay and a six-month-old German Shepherd dog called Tilly - at Keston before leaving. However, the court was told he forgot they were in his car, which was parked out of sight of police staff, and left Keston for London.
Magistrates heard that when he realised several hours later that his dogs were in his vehicle he got in touch with the dog training centre and staff tried to break into his car to release the dogs.
Both dogs had been left in the hot car for several hours and were extremely ill when staff discovered them. They were rushed to a nearby vet but, despite attempts to save them, Tilly died naturally and Chay was put to sleep shortly after to prevent further suffering. The cause of death was given as heat stroke and hyperthermia.
Met Office information showed the temperature that day was up to 16.1 degrees centigrade at 7am, and had risen to 22.6 degrees centigrade by 11am.
The court heard that in a previous incident in 2004, Craven had left a spaniel in a hot car at Keston that had also died.
Craven admitted two charges of causing unnecessary suffering under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act.
RSPCA chief inspector Dermot Murphy said: “When this incident happened the RSPCA was asked by the Metropolitan Police Service to conduct the investigation.
“Throughout the investigation the RSPCA has received total cooperation from the Metropolitan Police and any information or evidence that we have requested has been provided to us. I would like to put on record my appreciation to them for this cooperation in what has been a distressing case for all concerned.
“Ian Craven for the second time, left dogs in his vehicle, on a hot day and forgot about them. This is an unacceptable action and one that is aggravated by the fact that he was a professional dog handler and trainer at the time of the incident.
“The suffering that both Chay and Tilly would have experienced would have been substantial as they overheated in his vehicle. Ian Craven’s negligent actions caused the suffering and death of the dogs Chay and Tilly.
“The court has recognised this and has sentenced him accordingly.
“The RSPCA encounters too many situations every year where dogs have been left in vehicles in situations where they overheat. Dogs should never be left alone in cars on a warm day.”
Craven said in mitigation that the incident had left him with a huge sense of shame and embarrassment.
RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS
Press office direct lines: 0300 123 0244/0288 Fax: 0303 123 0099
Duty press officer (evenings and weekends) Tel 08448 222888 and ask for pager number 828825
Email: press@rspca.org.uk Website: www.rspca.org.uk
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