Wild boar stabbed by man who let dogs attack it

A man who stabbed a wild boar then filmed a pair of dogs attacking and tormenting it has been jailed.

Luke Rix was jailed for 18 weeks after an RSPCA inquiry that led to a raid on a property in Gloucestershire.

The charity was contacted after videos and pictures of his actions - involving one of his own dogs - were found on an iPad by his former partner.

At Cheltenham Magistrates' Court Rix, 32, of Oxhill, Warwickshire, admitted three animal cruelty offences.

At a hearing on 17 October the defendant, of Gilks Lane, was also banned from keeping dogs for 10 years.

The court heard an inspector from the RSPCA's Special Operations Unit joined Gloucestershire Police officers when they raided an address in Broadwell, Moreton-in-Marsh, where Rix's phone was seized and his dogs examined by a vet.

Among a number of videos and photographs found was a clip showing Rix filming while two dogs - one of them his dog Gunner - attacked the boar.

In the footage, Rix was heard encouraging the dogs as they latched onto the body of the boar, which was already screaming in pain after being stabbed, the court was told.

A statement from a veterinary expert said the boar would have experienced "intense pain" before losing consciousness due to blood loss.

"The dogs were placed into a situation with the wild boar where their safety and welfare were compromised and as a result the black dog sustained injuries," the statement added.

The vet who examined Gunner found he had tooth fractures, missing teeth and dental disease that was so severe it would have caused pain for at least three years.

Records showed he had not seen a vet since 2019, when Rix had been told that one fractured tooth needed removing.

In an interview, Rix said he had always hunted and had previously been a gamekeeper.

RSPCA solicitor Lindi Meyer told the hearing other videos and photos found showed dogs killing a fox and terriers tormenting a caged rat.

She said that while he had not been prosecuted over those, the evidence against Rix showed "this is a game to him which he will glorify by filming".

In mitigation, the court was told Rix was going through a difficult time because of a relationship breakdown and business issues.

Alongside the prison sentence and disqualification, he was ordered to pay £500 costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

Gunner was taken away by the police and is now being cared for by the RSPCA.

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