WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT – John Dysart filmed pet cats and wild badgers being torn to death by his dogs and shared the videos online – with welfare officers calling it the ‘worst, most deliberate cruelty we have encountered’
A man has been jailed for organising animal fights in which cats and badgers were ripped apart by his dogs – with videos of the brutal attacks distributed online.
John Dysart was found guilty of keeping a black lurcher type dog known as Dot and a grey lurcher type dog known as Sky for the purposes of animal fighting. He filmed pet cats and wild badgers being torn to death by his killer canines, then shared the footage online. Suspicious neighbours in Alloa, near Glasgow, Scotland, raised the alarm, which sparked an investigation by Scottish SCPA.
Experienced welfare officers described it as the cruellest case they had seen and feared children may have viewed the clips. A Scottish SPCA Special Investigations inspector said Dysart was “regularly going out in the late evening and early mornings with two lurcher types for the purposes of killing badgers, foxes and cats and filming these fights on his mobile phone.”
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The attacks, which happened in March 2024, also triggered a number of calls to the SSPCA Helpline. The spokesperson continued: “We also received numerous phone calls to our helpline regarding Dysart posting videos of his dogs deliberately killing a domestic cat in a street in the Alloa area. An anonymous person sent one such video to the SSPCA Helpline. The video shows a cat being attacked by a black lurcher-type dog and a grey lurcher-type dog.
“The attack occurred on a pavement in a residential street during darkness. The attack is illuminated by the light from the mobile phone device recording the fight. A black lurcher-type dog with a purple collar can be seen biting the cat’s back near its rear legs, while simultaneously, a grey lurcher-type dog with a black collar can be seen biting the cat by its throat. The cat can be heard whining and groaning as the two dogs maul it to death from either side.”
The Inspector added: “This case represents some of the worst, most deliberate cruelty we have encountered. Not only were wild and domestic animals targeted and killed in horrific circumstances, but these acts were recorded and shared for gratification. We welcome the court’s decision and hope it sends a strong message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Scotland.”
At Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday, September 18, Dysart was given to an 11 month custodial sentence reduced to 10 months and a lifetime ban on owning any animals. All animals involved have since been adopted and are now living in safe, caring environments.
Mark Bishop, Scottish SPCA CEO added: “This was a particularly harrowing case and our team did an outstanding job building a strong case to secure a conviction and protect Scotland’s animals. Animal abuse has no place in our society and only together, with people across Scotland, can we stop it.”
An SSPCA spokesperson added: “The Scottish SPCA would like to thank Karon Rollo, Procurator Fiscal Depute of the Wildlife & Environmental Crime Unit for her time and dedication in taking on this case. We would also like to thank Dr Lucy Webster a Senior Wildlife Forensic Scientist from Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture who carried out all the DNA forensic work on this case.
“The creation of videos and content showing cruelty and violence towards animals being shared online poses a threat to the psychological welfare to those who may unwillingly come across the content, including children.”