An animal welfare charity has criticised the sentence of a man who goaded a lurcher dog into killing a domestic rat.
The Scottish SPCA said it is “devastated” Liam Fair has been allowed to retain a number of pets in his care despite admitting animal abuse.
Fair found himself at the centre of an investigation after authorities were sent footage of him goading dog Jax into fatally attacking a domesticated brown rat.
In the video, Fair was recorded holding the rat by the tail, swinging it around, and striking it off the black brindle lurcher-type dog’s face.
A Scottish SPCA inspector said: “Veterinary opinion was that severe psychological and physical suffering was caused to the rat during the incident.”
The charity was also sent screenshots taken from Facebook in which Fair admitted to feeding his dog live rats as a method of training for pest control purposes.
The inspector said: “Due to the severity of the concerns within the footage, multiple previous visits, and a vet statement raising specific concerns, it was deemed necessary at this point to gain a warrant.”
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Officers attended at Fair’s house in Crieff, Perth and Kinross, and found wooden boards covering two windows at the front of the property.
The garden was said to be in a poor state, with mud and debris throughout.
There was also an old hutch, a dilapidated garden shed, and what appeared to be a wet wooden dog kennel with a chain attached and saturated bedding inside.
The inspector said: “When walking into the flat there was a strong smell of urine.
“The flat can only be described as a slum with minimal personal possessions.”
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Jax was found within the house alongside Jock, a white lurcher-type dog, and a tan-coloured staffie-type pet.
Five puppies were recovered from a large pen set up in the sitting room.
The Scottish SPCA said the dogs were found walking around in their own diarrhoea with no clean or dry resting areas visible.
The inspector said: “We noted the puppies appeared to be walking lethargically. It was evident immediately that they were exceptionally underweight with pot bellies indicative of a large worm burden.
“They were also suffering from severe diarrhoea which can result in tiny puppies losing body condition very quickly.
“If this had continued much longer it would have resulted in dehydration and collapse, possibly death.”
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Fair was sentenced at Perth Sheriff Court last week after pleading guilty to causing the rat unnecessary suffering.
He also admitted failing to meet the needs of five puppies, three dogs and one kitten at his home in October 2022.
Fair was disqualified from owning or keeping any animals for 12 months but was allowed to retain four dogs and four ferrets in his care.
He was also handed a deprivation order for an adult dog named Honey, the five puppies and the kitten.
The Scottish SPCA inspector stated: “We are devastated by the sentence Fair received.
“The sentence means he has been allowed to keep the eight animals currently in his care.”
‘Fancy rat’ facts
• Domestic rats are referred to as “fancy rats”. The name stems from the use of the word “fancy” meaning “hobby”.
• There are seven types of fancy rat – standard (short, smooth, glossy coats); rex (curly fur and may feel woolly); tailless (as named and is often referred to as a sphinx); hairless (also aptly named and in need of extra warmth); satin (long, smooth, silky coats); dumbo (larger, low-set ears that conjure images of Disney’s loveable elephant); and bristle (coarse fur).
• Rats are incredibly intelligent, making them easy to train using treats, patience and positive reinforcement.
• Rats laugh when they’re tickled. Scientists have found that when rats are happy or excited, they emit very high-pitched squeaks (too high for us to hear), which is rat “laughter”.
• Rats live for around two years, but some may live longer.
• Magawa, an African giant pouched rat, enjoyed a successful career sniffing out landmines in Cambodia. The much-loved rodent was awarded the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Gold Medal in 2020 for his devotion to duty. Magawa passed away peacefully at the age of eight in 2022.
