A man has been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence and 20 year animal ban after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to a husky dog which witnesses saw dragged along a road by a rope attached to his car.

Kim Rendall (date of birth: 03/05/1958) of Southover Road, High Littleton, then left nine year-old Daisy without veterinary treatment for her injuries and refused to tell police where he had hidden her following the incident.

Bristol Magistrates Court heard how on April 17 witnesses saw Rendall driving through High Littleton with Daisy tied to a rope being dragged along the road behind the car. Despite several motorists trying to alert him, it was only after a pedestrian flagged Rendall down that he stopped.

Daisy in the barn ; Photo from the RSPCA

Dashcam footage of the incident presented in court showed Daisy being dragged behind the car for 55 seconds before Rendall then put her into the car and drove off.

When police went to check on her welfare after the incident was reported to them, Rendell refused to tell them where she was. They found Rendall having a haircut in the kitchen and drinking a cup of tea. One officer was heard on bodycam asking him "where is that dog?" numerous times but Rendall did not answer directly, saying "I don't like this at all".

A search involving police officers and a drone eventually tracked severely injured Daisy down to a nearby cow barn.

Despite being given emergency veterinary treatment, a vet decided that sadly Daisy had to be put to sleep six days after the incident because of the severity of her injuries and to prevent further suffering.

The RSPCA brought the prosecution against Rendall and at a previous hearing at Weston-super-Mare magistrates' court he had admitted two animal welfare offences.

RSPCA Inspector Kim Walters, who investigated for the charity, said: "Daisy was in desperate need of veterinary treatment but Rendall repeatedly refused to tell police where he'd hidden her, instead choosing to leave her to suffer with severe injuries while he had his hair cut and enjoyed a cup of tea.

"Pets are completely reliant on their owners to ensure their needs are met and they are kept safe and healthy. Ensuring animals are kept safe from injury while travelling in a vehicle and providing appropriate veterinary care is a key part of the responsibility we have towards our pets. It's so sad that, in this instance, that responsibility was not met."

PC Natalie Cosgrove from Avon and Somerset Police, who supported the RSPCA investigation, said: "I was shocked by what I saw when I first saw Daisy. I felt physically sick that this lovely dog had been subjected to such cruelty, whether by mistake or not. What really upset me was the fact she was disposed of and left in such pain for hours.

"Despite everyone's best efforts, Daisy had to be put to sleep as her injuries were too severe and her quality of life would have been vastly reduced. This is one of the jobs which will haunt me forever."

Alongside the eight month prison sentence, suspended for two years, Rendall was also sentenced to 300 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £5,000 costs. The 20-year disqualification order, which cannot be appealed for 15 years, is for all animals, excluding livestock and fish. He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday 12 December.

In mitigation, it was said Rendall had been a farmer for more than 40 years and had no previous convictions.