A man has been banned from owning animals for life after killing his Black Labrador with a hammer and a knife at his home near Edinburgh.
Glen Tweedie attacked his dog Caillie at a property in the Loanhead area of Edinburgh in September 2025. He struck the pet over the head with a hammer before stabbing her through the chest with a knife, leaving her to drown in her own blood.
Inspector visit and admission
Tweedie was visited by a Scottish SPCA inspector in September last year following concerns for a dog heard “screaming”. When the inspector arrived, Tweedie claimed Caillie had been euthanised by a vet a few days prior due to pain from her reproductive cycle.
The inspector told him he would call the vet to confirm this and returned to his van, but was then approached by Tweedie outside. Tweedie admitted that he had actually killed Caillie himself because she was in pain and he couldn’t afford the vet bill.
Details of the attack
Tweedie was cautioned and said that Caillie had been in pain outside in the back garden and was unable to get up. He stated that he had twice clubbed her over the head with a big hammer, leaving her conscious and in immense pain, before stabbing her with a large knife.
Tweedie aimed for Caillie's heart but missed and stabbed her lung, causing the dog to drown in her own blood. He put Caillie’s body into a black bag and took her to a nearby wooded area, burying her in a shallow grave where she was later found at the bottom of a large ditch, covered with branches.
Post-mortem findings and sentencing
Caillie was taken for a post-mortem examination, and the pathologist concluded that her suffering had begun once she had been hit over the head. The stab wound would have produced significant blood loss, resulting in loss of consciousness and her eventual death. It was also concluded that Caillie had no signs of any reproductive system pain.
Tweedie also had another black Labrador, Jura, who was seized and taken into the care of the Scottish SPCA. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Tweedie was banned from owning animals for life, given a 12-month restriction of liberty order, and an 18-month supervision order.
The inspector said: “In my three years working as an Inspector for the Scottish SPCA, this is the most upsetting case I’ve seen by an enormous margin and the most eye-wateringly violent conduct towards a completely innocent pet.
“Tweedie wrongly claimed Caillie was in immense pain, but in fact it was he who caused his animal to suffer in the most unimaginable way – both physically and mentally.
“To then dump Caillie in a ditch shows Tweedie’s complete lack of remorse and how little regard he has for animals.”
The Scottish SPCA echoed calls for a National Animal Offenders Register to prevent future harm and tackle repeat offending.
