This man tortured and killed an 11-week-old puppy at home

A Lancashire man tortured and killed an innocent 11-week-old puppy at his home - but claimed in court he only showed the dog 'pure love'

Dudley Payne, 30, inflicted so many injuries on Rocko, the American Bully puppy, a specialist vet said he would have suffered significantly before he died and would have been “screaming”.

The jury at Preston Crown Court took just 20 minutes to find unanimously guilty of animal cruelty. Rocko, suffered severe head trauma, a ruptured liver, cigarette burns to his groin, a partial fracture to his hip and scratches to his body, reports Lancs Live.

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During a three day trial, the court heard how Payne had bought the puppy from a former school friend, George Wilson, six days before the pup died. Payne had agreed to pay for Rocko in instalments and had not completed the payment plan.

On January 29, 2022, Rocko was checked by vet Chris Mason, who gave him his vaccinations and a clean bill of health. But on February 2, Payne’s grandmother, who had called at his flat, phoned the emergency vet and said the puppy was lifeless.

From the witness box, Payne said he had gone to work at 8:30am that morning, leaving Rocko in his crate. He returned at 8:30pm and opened the cage to let the puppy out. He said the dog had access to food and water but had not been out to use the toilet or had any accidents in the crate.

He claimed Rocko had been pottering around the living room when his grandmother arrived a short time later. However the dog deteriorated rapidly, developing breathing difficulties and gurgling, he said.

As his grandmother phoned the vets he claimed he tried CPR, and must have injured the dog in the process. However Dr