Man who killed his dog with kitchen knife jailed

MAN WHO KILLED HIS DOG WITH KITCHEN KNIFE JAILED

A man who killed his dog with a kitchen knife has been jailed for 18 months and banned from keeping animals for life.

After the stabbing at an address in Stoke-on-Trent, Matej Ciroka took his seven-month-old Shar Pei, named Aki, to a veterinary surgery in the city and told staff the dog had breathing problems after falling "on to the corner of a coffee table" and collapsing.

But in a written statement to the court hearing the case, a veterinary nurse said the dog had "no signs of life" when she picked it up in the waiting room and an examination found a wound 2cm deep.

The matter was reported to the RSPCA and Ciroka was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a dog via sharp force trauma.

Having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, Ciroka, a serving prisoner at HMP Forest Bank in Manchester, was sentenced at Stoke Crown Court on Monday.

The court heard that the veterinary nurse observed: "There were no signs of respiration, pupils fixed and dilated and no heartbeat.

I requested a veterinary surgeon to check for signs of life.

The veterinary surgeon confirmed the pet is deceased, and due to the fixed and dilated pupils, no attempt was made for resuscitation." In mitigation, the court heard that Ciroka did not mean to commit the offence, which happened on 13 May last year, and he showed genuine remorse.

He also had a number of physical and mental health issues.

Following sentencing, RSPCA inspector Amy Pellegrini emphasized, "All animals deserve to be treated with kindness and respect."