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The RSPCA has today issued a news release about the jailing of a man described as a major figure in British dog fighting. He’s going to jail, but for just 121 days.

The RSPCA release reads:

John Psaila thought to be a major figure in British dogfighting

A Lancashire man thought to be a major figure in British dogfighting has been jailed for 121 days and banned from keeping animals for life after an RSPCA investigation uncovered a dogfighting training school at his house.

Officers from the RSPCA’s special operations unit tracked John Psaila down to two houses in the Greater Manchester area where he kept and trained several pit bull terrier type dogs to fight in organised bouts.

The 49-year-old, of Thornvale, Abram, was today was sentenced for the 14 offences he had previously admitted. Charges included training animals to fight and possession of equipment such as treadmills, medication and a captive bolt gun which was all designed for use in connection with organised fights.

Officers even discovered one dog being trained on a treadmill when they arrived at Psaila’s address in Abram during investigations last summer.

Chief inspector Ian Briggs, of the RSPCA’s special operations unit, said: “John Psaila appears to be a big player in the dogfighting world judging by the evidence we found during our investigation. When he was interviewed he admitted he’d had an interest in pit bull terriers since the 1980s.

“To have successfully obtained convictions against him is a huge breakthrough in our ongoing battle to bring dogfighters to justice and prevent more animals from suffering at the hands of people like him.

“Dogfighting is one of the most brutal, extreme and premeditated forms of animal cruelty. Hopefully this case will provide fresh information that will lead us to other dogfighters who think they are above the law.”

He appeared at Wigan & Leigh Magistrates’ Court today (24.2.15) when he was sentenced to 121 days in jail and disqualified from keeping all animals for life. Magistrates told Psaila he cannot appeal that ban for 15 years. He was also ordered to pay £520 costs.

Inspectors from the RSPCA’s special operations unit – which investigates organised animal crime – joined officers from Greater Manchester Police on warrants at Psalia’s Abram address, as well as a house on Lowton Street in Radcliffe, Manchester on 9 June last year.

They were acting on information that he was involved in organised dogfighting and an allegation he was preparing to take a dog to a fight.

At the Abram address they found what resembled a training school for fighting dogs, including treadmills, weighing scales, home veterinary kits with medication and muscle-gaining powder and breaking sticks, which are typically used to separate dogs during a fight.

The RSPCA found Psaila had two pit bull type dogs – called Ziggy and Tip – in his care and he subsequently admitted training both of the dogs to fight.

Psaila also admitted to training a dog called Cruise to fight. Although the dog was not found at either address, texts from his phone revealed plans to arrange a fight between Cruise and another unknown dog.

Footage of the dogs being trained on treadmills was found on the defendant’s mobile phone.

Other paraphernalia such as dogfighting yearbooks and magazines, as well as a bucket and a sponge covered in blood were also discovered at property belonging to Psaila.

The court was told in mitigation that Psaila claimed to have only been involved in dogfighting for three years in an attempt to make money.

Recent RSPCA figures showed Greater Manchester came out third in the list of areas which received the highest number of calls about organised animal fighting in 2014. There were 35 reports from Greater Manchester, as the national figures showed the number of calls to the RSPCA about organised animal fighting had increased by 33% in the past five years.

How do you feel about the jail term imposed on a self confessed animal abuser?

Reports of organised animal fighting to RSPCA up by a third in past five years

Shocking new figures come 180 years after dog fighting was banned in UK

Calls to the RSPCA reporting organised animal fighting have gone up by a third in the past five years – despite dog and cockfighting being banned for 180 years.

There was a total of 594 calls to Britain’s biggest animal charity in 2014 to report incidents or information connected to organised animal fighting, compared to 449 in 2010 – an increase of nearly 33%.

Chief inspector Ian Briggs, from the RSPCA’s special operations unit which investigates organised animal crime, said the figures came as no surprise.

“People look at me with amazement when I tell them about some of the things I’ve seen and heard of when it comes to dogfighting and cockfighting. Some people simply can’t believe it still happens, but it does and these new figures show that it is as much a problem now, if not more, than any other point in recent years.

“I’ve been investigating organised animal fighting for more than a decade and it still disgusts me, knowing that there are individuals who continue to take pleasure in watching animals brutally fight each other, often causing horrific and sometimes fatal injuries.

“RSPCA inspectors deal with countless instances of neglect caused by ignorance, but these cases are all about premeditated cruelty. People are deliberately breeding, training and fighting animals for the sole purpose of inflicting suffering.

“Hopefully one day organised animal fighting can truthfully be described as a thing of the past. Until then, we’ll keep investigating and try to bring about an end to such horrific levels of animal cruelty.”

Animal fighting and baiting was banned in England by the Cruelty to Animals Act in 1835. It is now covered by section 8 of the Animal Welfare Act which makes it illegal to stage an animal fight, to take part in an animal fight, train animals for the purpose of fighting, to attend and/or publicise an animal fight and to posses equipment designed to be used in connection with animal fighting.

The West Midlands emerged as the region with the most calls last year, followed by Greater London and Greater Manchester.

The areas with most reports of organised animal cruelty to the RSPCA in 2014 were:

1. West Midlands (48)

2. Greater London (36)

3. Greater Manchester (35)

4. Lancashire (27)

5. Kent (26)

6=. Nottinghamshire (23)

6=. West Yorkshire (23)

8=. Essex (18)

8=. South Yorkshire (18)

10=. Cheshire (16)

10=. Derbyshire (16)

“The West Midlands and other largely urban areas tend to get most reports but, from our experience, organised animal fighting can happen anywhere, from remote locations to city warehouses.

“The most important thing is that if someone does have any information they contact the RSPCA so that we can investigate,” added chief inspector Briggs.

Anyone who wants to report animal cruelty can contact the RSPCA’s 24-hour cruelty and advice line by calling 0300 1234 999.

See: Dog Fighting in Britain: The Shocking Reality