PETER-ROBERT WOOD AND KIERAN WADE SENTENCED FOR CRUELTY TO DOG IN BEESTON

In a disturbing case of animal cruelty, Peter-Robert Wood and Kieran Wade, both residents of Leeds, were found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog named Taz, who tragically died after being neglected in Beeston.

Taz, an English bull terrier, was subjected to severe neglect that ultimately led to his death in a filthy cellar. The dog, weighing only 12 kilograms—less than half of his healthy body weight—had ingested over fifty inedible objects, including pieces of leather, plastic, and even part of a football, all due to his desperate hunger. The post-mortem examination confirmed that Taz had been ravenously hungry, which drove him to consume these harmful items.

Both Wood and Wade pleaded guilty to charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog, a crime that highlights the severity of their neglect. The case was brought to court after a series of investigations by the RSPCA, which had visited Wood’s residence multiple times in late 2011 and early 2012. During these visits, authorities observed that Taz was underweight, and the environment in which he was kept was grossly unclean, with a dirty kennel and yard.

On April 25, 2012, RSPCA inspector Sally Bamforth took the unusual step of climbing a fence to access the property after concerns about the dog’s welfare persisted. Upon entering, she found Taz in an extremely subdued state, reluctant to move, and in a condition that indicated severe neglect. At the time, Wood’s mother and sister were present in the house, and they were asked to contact Wood. The inspector then called the police and waited outside in her vehicle.

However, when police arrived, they were told that Taz had been stolen. It was later revealed that Wood had arranged for the dog to be moved to the home of his friend, Kieran Wade. Tragically, five weeks after this transfer, Taz was discovered dead in the cellar of a house located on Trentham Grove, Beeston.

Following the case, Inspector Bamforth expressed her distress over the situation, stating, “It has been a very upsetting case from start to finish. Taz was a lovely animal. This sentence will not bring him back but it is some justice at last for what happened to him.”

As a result of their convictions, Peter-Robert Wood was sentenced to 23 weeks in jail and was disqualified from keeping a dog for five years. Kieran Wade received a 12-week prison sentence, which was suspended for 12 months, along with 180 hours of unpaid work. Wade was also banned from keeping a dog for five years, although this ban expired in 2018.

This case underscores the importance of animal welfare and the consequences faced by those who neglect and abuse animals in the Leeds area, particularly in Beeston, where the tragic events unfolded.