Ollie died from a severe brain haemorrhage after being violently shaken, leaving owner Kara Davies heartbroken.
Clynton Hagen was given a five-year ban on owning and keeping animals after violently shaking his partner’s five-year-old dog, who died from a severe brain haemorrhage.
Hagen was sentenced at Livingston Sheriff Court on 13 August after he pleaded guilty to an animal welfare charge related to him forcefully shaking chihuahua Ollie, causing him to die from a brain haemorrhage.
He was also ordered to carry out 265 hours of unpaid work.
Hagen had killed the dog by violent means
A Scottish SPCA Inspector attended Hagen’s residence in East Calder, West Lothian, after Ollie’s owner reported concerns to the society’s Animal Helpline that Hagen had killed the dog by violent means.
Kara Davies had returned home early from work after her then partner Hagen said something had happened to Ollie. When Davies arrived at the property, she found Ollie collapsed and not breathing. She took him immediately to the vet but despite resuscitation attempts, Ollie unfortunately passed away.
Davies was left devastated by Ollie’s sudden death. He meant the world to her, having supported her through a severe illness.
My whole world had shattered
Davies ordered a post-mortem examination, which showed Ollie had died from severe brain bleeding.
Kara Davies said: ““This has been an utterly devastating experience and losing Ollie in such a violent and cruel way is a trauma I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Within an hour of me leaving for work my whole world had shattered. Ollie meant everything to me and was such a deeply loved part of my family.
“While I am relieved there has finally been accountability, I believe serious cases of animal cruelty should result in much stronger and longer sentences and bans on owning and keeping animals.”
Reacting to the sentencing, the Inspector said: “We welcome the Sheriff’s decision. Hagen’s violent actions caused immense suffering to Ollie and left his owner devastated. He should never be allowed to take care of an animal again and a ban will help ensure he never does at lease for the next five year. I would like to commend Kara Davies for her help and tenacity throughout this very traumatic investigation.
“However, there remains a risk that offenders could go on to reoffend or breach animal ownership bans without being detected. This is why we are calling for a National Animal Offenders Register: a centralised system that would help enforcement agencies identify people who are banned from keeping animals and prevent them from slipping through the gaps. Importantly, animal abuse is often a warning sign for human-related abuse, meaning a joined-up system will help frontline officers spot wider safeguarding risks.”
Help ensure Scotland is at the forefront of animal welfare
The Scottish SPCA’s call for a National Animal Offenders Register is one of the four main asks of its recently published manifesto. Delivering on these will help ensure Scotland is at the forefront of animal welfare and is crucial to prevent future harm and tackle repeat offending. In turn, this is essential to help achieve our mission to make Scotland the best place for an animal to call home. Read our full Manifesto and sign our petition to show your support.
To report a concern of cruelty, visit our “Contact Us” webpage.
