Antrim man banned from keeping animals for 10 years after repeatedly punching rescued collie

The young collie dog that was punched and abused by its Antrim owner.

An Antrim man has been banned from keeping animals for a decade after a court heard he repeatedly punched a young collie, twisted her neck and slammed her to the ground in an attack captured on video.

Dan Hustiu, from the Antrim area, was sentenced at Antrim Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, June 25, after previously pleading guilty to charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and failing to ensure the welfare of a dog.

The prosecution was brought by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 following an investigation by the council’s Animal Welfare Officer.

District Judge Broderick imposed a 10-year disqualification order preventing Hustiu from keeping animals and ordered him to complete 240 hours of community service.

The court also ordered him to pay £155 in legal costs and £32 in court costs.

Video footage sparked investigation

Proceedings followed reports to the council that a man had been seen hitting his dog and that video footage of the incident had been recorded.

The footage was later provided to the council’s Animal Welfare Officer, who viewed the material and observed a man repeatedly punching the dog before grabbing her by the muzzle and wrenching her neck backwards.

The seriousness of the footage prompted the officer to apply for a search warrant.

When the warrant was executed at the property, officers discovered a young collie tethered inside the house to a refrigerator by a short lead.

The dog was seized and taken to a council veterinary surgeon for examination.

The vet found the animal had suffered a laceration to her tongue as well as neck pain consistent with the abuse captured on video.

Court heard dog could be heard yelping in pain

The court heard graphic details of the abuse from the veterinary report submitted as evidence.

The council vet stated:

“In the first video, he grabbed the dog, held her mouth shut while twisting her neck and repeatedly punched her with a closed fist.

“In the videos you can hear the dog yelping in pain as the man punches her.

“In the second video the man is holding the dog by her neck and slamming her down to the ground.

“He then proceeds to again hold her mouth shut and twist her neck and then shakes her in position.

“Again in this footage her yelps of pain are audible and she tries to pull away from him.

“When she does get away from him she cowers under the table outside away from the man.”

The evidence formed part of the prosecution case against Hustiu, who admitted the offences before the court.

Council says case should serve as warning

Following the sentencing, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council said it places a high priority on the welfare of domestic pets and horses and will take enforcement action where necessary.

A council spokesperson said:

“The Council gives a high priority to the welfare of domestic pets and horses and operates a rigorous enforcement policy to ensure full compliance with regulatory requirements.

“Complaints are investigated thoroughly and where necessary formal action is taken, which may include the service of Improvement Notices, or in extreme cases, seizure of animals.

“The Council may also prosecute for offences such as in this case which I hope serves as a warning to anyone who does not take appropriate care of animals.”

Hustiu pleaded guilty to offences contrary to Sections 4 and 9 of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

The case serves as a reminder that reports of suspected animal cruelty are investigated and that the courts can impose significant penalties, including lengthy bans on keeping animals, where serious welfare offences are proven.