A man in Scotland received a shockingly lenient sentence for using his dogs to torture and kill wildlife, along with most likely forcing his dogs to torture each other as well in dogfighting matches. The evidence was overwhelming, the violence was heartbreaking, and he was found guilty, but even so, Anthony Holloway only received community service and a short four year ban on owning dogs.
If more is not done to hold this man accountable for his gruesome and callous actions, there is little doubt that he will obtain and abuse dogs -- and who knows what other animals -- after his four years are up.
Sign the petition and encourage Joe Stewart, the prosecuting attorney in this case, to appeal the Dumbarton Sheriff Court's lenient sentencing! Let's show our support for him to continue to fight for a lifetime ban on owning dogs for Anthony Holloway.
The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals did everything they could to protect defenseless creatures from Holloway, which makes this all the more disappointing. They conducted a dogfighting investigation back in 2019 that led to his arrest, during which five dogs in terrible condition were confiscated. Their sweet faces were covered in terrible scars, trailing all over their heads and necks -- when a vet examined them, they confirmed what everyone feared: the "injuries were consistent with dogfighting."
Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the terrible news. Holloway's arrest actually fell on the day he got back from an animal torture spree. He reportedly went on a badger baiting trip where he is alleged to have used his abused dogs to torture and kill poor, defenseless badgers in the wild. Videos and photos were found of Holloway using the badgers' dens, the place where they feel safe and sheltered, to train his dogs to attack. There were also photos of dead foxes killed by his dogs.
But even after all of this evidence was presented, including messages on Holloway's phone where he talked about "setting up a dog fight," he was not even tried for dogfighting. And even though he was found guilty for using his dogs to kill defenseless badgers and foxes -- its illegal to ever kill them with dogs in Scotland because of its brutal nature, and even to humanely kill them requires a license -- he was only sentenced to community service and a four year ban on owning dogs.
Anthony Holloway has not only shown that he doesn't care about animal welfare, but that he openly enjoys their pain. That's what dogfighting is all about. And if he really were killing badgers for exterminating purposes, as he so arrogantly claimed, he wouldn't be using dogs to rip them apart. This man cannot be trusted to own dogs, now or four years from now or ever!
Sign the petition and ask Prosecutor Joe Stewart to appeal Holloway's sentencing, and fight until he has a lifetime ban on ever owning and exploiting dogs!
