Owners of dogs at abusive doggy day care speak out about the experience
Their pugs Otis and Dexter were at Mucky Pups Doggy Day Care
Last updated 14th Jan 2022
The owners of two of the dogs that were at the abusive Mucky Pups Doggy Day Care have spoken to Forth 1 about their experience.
Yesterday, a father and daughter who were involved in the running of a doggy day care centre were sentenced with animal welfare offences after videos emerged on social media showing dogs being hit and smacked.
Bethany Banks and Stefan Martin brought their dogs Otis and Dexter to the doggy day care on Harwood Road in Rishton, Lancashire, but they started to notice a change in behaviour that concerned them.
Bethany told us: "The dogs were coming home and they were acting very strange. They wouldn't let Stefan go near the dogs. It was a man thing. They were really quiet, they weren't themselves.
"They turn on each other, quite aggressively, which is something that they normally wouldn't do.
"You put your trust in to these people to look after your dogs and they came back totally different dogs."
Stefan added: "It was like I'd punished them and they had fallen out with me. It was very strange.
"They bark at anything that moves. When this first started happening if there was anything on the TV at all they'd start barking and go crazy."
Bans on holding a council animal welfare licence
Owner of the Mucky Pups Doggy Day Care, Lauren Walker (31), of Knowles Street, Rishton, and her father John Walker (69) of Greenhill, Great Harwood, pleaded guilty to animal welfare offences following an investigation by the RSPCA.
Both have now been banned from holding a council animal welfare licence so are unable to run a similar business. John Walker was given a 10 year ban on holding such a licence and Lauren Walker a 5 year ban.
But Otis and Dexter's owners still don't think justice has been served.
"There is video footage of him hurting dogs in cruelty," Stefan said.
"If that had been a day-care centre with kids there and somebody had video footage of him hitting a kid it should be the same. They're not just pets they're members of the family. They have their own personalities, behaviours and everything. It should be the same."
"In my opinion I think that they should never be able to look after any sort of animal every again," Bethany added.
Caught on video hitting the dogs
In December 2019 a complaint had been made after a former employee had taken video footage of dogs at the centre being hit and smacked by John Walker. The videos emerged on social media and were subsequently shared.
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Following the emergence of the video, Hyndburn Borough Council revoked Mucky Pup's licence in February 2020, while the RSPCA carried out a full investigation into the abuse allegations.
An independent vet, who studied the footage said: “The videos illustrate a dog day care centre caring for a number of dogs. In particular an adult male member of staff can be seen interacting with the dogs on a number of occasions. In some of the videos the adult male can be seen to physically strike a number of dogs with his hand.
“In the first video for example the adult male individual restrains a black Labrador type dog by holding the dog’s collar with his left hand while he strikes the dog 3 times with his right hand. The dog vocalises and the male throws the dog away using the collar. The body language of the dog is fearful submission with no aggression.
“In my opinion the actions of the adult male individual have been sufficiently influential on the welfare of some of these animals to the extent that has caused them to experience suffering.”
"If you notice any change in your dogs follow your gut instinct and follow it up"
The pug owners have told Forth 1 that although they had an awful experience with Mucky Pups, dog owners should not lose complete trust in Doggy Day Cares.
"There are some brilliant day-care centres out there for dogs, but if you notice any change in your dogs follow your gut instinct and follow it up," said Stefan.
Bethany added: "Be mindful who you're choosing and do research. Make sure you go around to different ones and see which one is right for your dog.
Community orders also issued
RSPCA Inspector Adam Dickinson, who led the investigation, told the court how following the videos appearing on social media and reports in the local press the owners of the dogs shown on camera came forward to provide witness statements.
John Walker pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to protected animals, namely seven dogs, by the inappropriate use of physical force, between September 10 2019 and November 19 2019 and failing to take reasonable steps to ensure the needs of the animals were met between August 1 2019 and December 18 2019.
Lauren Walker, pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable steps to prevent unnecessary suffering by her father John Walker to protected animals.
As well as the ban on holding a licence at a sentencing hearing held at Blackpool Magistrates Court yesterday John Walker was given a 12 month community order, including 10 day rehabilitation activity requirement and a 26 week curfew from 7pm to 7am. He was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £90 victim surcharge.
Lauren Walker was also given a 12 months community order, including a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement and must serve a 5 week curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am. She was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £90 victim surcharge.
“Training which includes physical punishment may cause pain, suffering and distress"
Following the sentencing, Inspector Dickinson said the case highlighted how important reward based training is for dogs.
He said: “The RSPCA only promotes positive, reward-based training methods and does not condone this sort of behaviour in order to train dogs or to tell them off.
“Training dogs is important to help them learn to behave appropriately and to make it easier to keep them under control.
“Reward based training which includes the use of things that dogs like or want for example. Toys, food and praise is enjoyable for the dog and is widely regarded as the preferred form of training dogs.
“Training which includes physical punishment may cause pain, suffering and distress. These techniques can compromise dog welfare, lead to aggressive responses and worsen the problems they aim to address.”