A man who purchased cats on Gumtree to use as live bait for dog fighting has been sentenced to 10 months in prison. Mark Cuthbert, 42, from South Ayrshire, pleaded guilty to keeping animals for fighting and procuring cats for fights at Ayr Sheriff Court.
Scottish SPCA inspectors discovered photos and videos of dead cats, badgers, and foxes at Cuthbert's home, along with dog fighting equipment such as tracking collars, nets, and animal traps. The cats were bought online from sellers who believed they were going to a safe home.
During a search on 16 March last year, inspectors found three Patterdale Terriers, two of which had injuries consistent with badger fighting. One dog, Billy, was so aggressive it had to be euthanised after attacking an SPCA employee. The other two dogs were rehomed.
An undercover investigator described the case as one of the most upsetting and depraved they had encountered. A video showed the dogs attacking a domestic cat in a field. The investigator stated, 'It's clear the cat was caused horrendous suffering and many of the cats he purchased will have suffered long, torturous deaths.'
In addition to the jail sentence, Cuthbert was banned from keeping animals for 10 years. The Scottish SPCA urged pet owners to conduct thorough checks when selling or rehoming animals online to prevent such abuse.
