Devon Man Kills Dog After Nip Suspends Jail Sentence on Appeal

A man named Mohamed Amira killed his family’s dog. He is 32 and works at an abattoir. Amira said the dog nipped his thumb, prompting him to hit the dog, William, with a canister. William was a Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix.

The dog suffered a severed spine and brain damage. Ultimately, a vet had to put William down. Amira admitted he hurt William badly and was initially jailed by a court. He appealed the sentence, which was then suspended.

The court banned Amira from owning animals for ten years. The RSPCA investigated and prosecuted him. He appeared in Exeter Magistrates Court on February 6. Amira has no fixed address and the charity learned about William from a vet.

The vet examined William on December 28, 2023, after a neighbor brought him in. They found the dog collapsed at home, and William was comatose upon arrival. The vet said he looked brain-dead and gravely ill. William’s pupils did not react to light, and his spinal reflexes were gone.

Vets treated him, but he got worse, and they decided to euthanize him. The vet concluded he presented as braindead. At Exeter Crown Court, Amira changed his story, claiming William was a ‘nasty, dangerous dog’. This happened at his home in Uffculme, during the incident in in December 2023.

The owner’s daughter found William unable to move, floppy, and barely conscious. According to the prosecutor, Amira had a tiny cut but never explained what happened to William. William’s family described him as ‘sweet and quirky’, and his death left a big hole in their hearts. Amira had a small scratch on his thumb, where he claimed William bit him.

Amira is from Tunisia, and his lawyer said Tunisian dogs are wild. He stated that some dogs have attacked him before. He further explained that his reaction to the nip was ‘excessive’ and that he felt sorry.

Besides the animal ban, he got a suspended jail sentence of 22 weeks, suspended for two years. He must also do 250 hours of unpaid work. He cannot appeal the animal ban for five years.

Judge Stephen Climie said Amira acted in anger. He used a canister to hit William repeatedly. RSPCA Inspector Albinson investigated and said dogs feel pain like we do, deserve kindness, and that it’s sad William died from his injuries.