RSPCA: farmer facing jail after driving with dog tied to back of car - before 'dumping her to die'

Warning: this story and video contain distressing content which may upset some readers.

A farmer is facing jail time after admitting dragging his dog behind his car before dumping her in a barn, leaving the dog with grievous injuries a police officer said would haunt her forever.

Somerset man Kim Norman Rendall is facing jail after he was caught on camera dragging his white husky Daisy for around 200 metres while tied with a rope back in April. The 65-year-old has since pleaded guilty to two counts of causing the unnecessary suffering of an animal contrary to the Animal Welfare Act at the North Somerset Magistrates' Court.

The magistrates have agreed that since the starting point for sentencing is two years in prison for his crimes, their powers were likely to be insufficient - and the case has been referred to Bristol Crown Court. Rendall was released on bail, until his next court appearance on 21 November.

After the case, the RSPCA released video footage showing Daisy being dragged along the road in Timsbury, near Bath. Numerous motorists witnessed the incident and tried to stop Rendall by beeping and flashing their lights at his red Nissan Micra. SWNS reports that the court heard one of the motorists shouted "dog, dog" out of a window, prompting a woman to flag the car down.

Rendall stopped and was confronted by distressed locals as Daisy bled onto the road and attempted to stand up. One woman said she'd take Daisy to the vet for urgent care if he was not going to. He reportedly laughed, telling her: "I’ll do what I want, it’s my dog.”

Prosecutor Lundi Meyer told the court it was estimated he drove for approximately 200 metres - around 55 seconds. After removing a bin from his vehicle, he placed Daisy in his boot and drove away. The police were called and officers were immediately dispatched.

Rendall refused to get help or tell police where he had left her when they turned up at his home - to find him enjoying a cup of tea and a haircut. He said he would get his own vet care for her, but given the urgency of the situation, officers arrested him on suspicion of animal cruelty.

Eighteen police officers and a drone unit were deployed in a bid to locate Daisy and get her treatment. After a two-and-a-half hour hunt through the Somerset countryside, she was found in a cow barn in Gossard Lane, High Littleton.

The dog was rushed to a vet hospital in Bath in a police vehicle with blue lights and sirens, where staff said she had sustained complicated and traumatic injuries - including both hind legs suffering full-thickness skin loss and an open fracture on her foot. Despite their best efforts, they could not control Daisy's pain - and she was euthanised nine days later.

PC Natalie Cosgrove described Daisy's injuries as "the worst thing I have ever seen" and said they made her feel physically sick. "I felt shocked, I couldn’t sleep and I cried... I hugged my own dog crying in sympathy for Daisy", she told the court in a victim person statement.

She added that the dog's suffering was "something that cannot be described” and said she was "traumatised" when Rendall smirked in his police interview. "I just felt incredibly sorry for her, that a human let her down so badly. This is one of those jobs that will haunt me forever."