Man banned from owning animals for 10 years after he was caught throwing underweight dog over a fence

BRISTOL, England — A man in England is forbidden from owning animals for 10 years after being found guilty of animal welfare offenses, including throwing his underweight dog over a fence, according to reporting cited by WKRC.

The BBC reported that James Andrew Marchant of Bristol was caught on camera by neighbors in September. The video allegedly shows him grabbing his terrier, Boomer, by the neck and throwing the dog over a roughly 6-foot-tall garden gate onto a paved surface. Witnesses yelled for him to stop and then called police.

Marchant was arrested, and the RSPCA brought animal welfare offenses against him and against Clair Yvonne Malik, who lived at the same address and was accused of failing to meet the dog’s nutritional needs. Boomer reportedly weighed about 4.4 pounds when veterinarians examined him.

A veterinarian who reviewed the footage testified that the manner in which Marchant threw Boomer—along with the failure to have him checked by a vet afterward—showed a failure in his duty to protect the dog from pain, suffering, injury, and disease.

Marchant was sentenced on June 24. In addition to the 10-year ban on owning animals, he was ordered to pay about $530 and a victim surcharge of around $105. Malik pleaded guilty and was barred from owning animals for five years, ordered to pay about $160 plus a victim surcharge of about $55.

After the incident, the RSPCA took Boomer into custody. The dog reportedly gained weight and was rehomed about a month later.