Scottish man jailed for beating dog so severely with golf club it had to be put down

Terry Thurling was banned from owning a dog for 15 years

A man who beat his dog so severely with a suspected golf club the animal suffered a fractured skull and had to be put down has been jailed.

Terry Thurling, 43, from St Ninians, was responsible for the horrific attack on his dog, a three-year-old Romanian Shepherd named Griffin.

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Stirling Sheriff Court, where the sentencing took placeStirling Sheriff Court, where the sentencing took place
Stirling Sheriff Court, where the sentencing took place | Falkirk Herald

Thurling pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering in an incident that took place on April 24 last year.

The SSPCA said Thurling was found to have struck his dog, which he had owned for ten months, with an object believed to be a golf club several times with excessive force, fracturing the animal’s skull in the process.

The dog was taken to Broadleys Veterinary Hospital in Stirling. An X-ray found depressed fractures in Griffin’s skull and the animal had to be euthanised.

A neighbour and a nurse at a nearby medical practice both contacted the SSPCA and council dog wardens, leading to Thurling being charged.

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The owner was banned from owning or keeping any dog for 15 years and was jailed for a total of 19 months in a sentence handed down at Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

A Scottish SPCA inspector said: “On that day, Thurling phoned the dog wardens to tell them he had hit his dog and demanded they take the dog away. When the dog wardens arrived, they found the dog with blood all over his head. They contacted us and we arranged to meet them at a local vet as soon as possible.

“He had a swollen head and eyes, with the third eyelid coming across the eye on the right-hand side. There was blood on the top of the head and lumps on his back. The dog appeared in reasonable body condition other than the injuries and was calm and docile.

“The dog who was quiet, but responsive and showed no signs of aggression during the handling procedure. There was fresh blood over the skull and bridge of his nose and covering his muzzle. There was extensive painful swelling over the top of his skull.

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“The vet concluded that the dog was hit over the top of the head at least six times with enough force to fracture its skull – he had obviously been subjected to unnecessary suffering.

“A decision was made for the dog to be euthanised on welfare grounds due to the extent of his injuries.

“We are pleased at the sentencing today. Griffin had suffered extensively both physically and mentally at the hands of Thurling and this man should never be allowed to own animals again.”

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