Dog-fighting father and son given prison sentences
A father and son from Oxfordshire have received prison sentences for owning and training dogs for illegal fighting.
Ian Draper, 47, of Burford, and Danny Draper, 25, of Witney, had admitted several charges of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
The pair were caught in a covert inquiry by the RSPCA in 2010 when dogs and a video of dog fighting were found.
Ian Draper was given a 20-week prison sentence and Danny Draper a 12-week sentence at Swindon Magistrates' Court.
Ian Draper was also banned from keeping dogs for life after he admitted breaching his previous 10-year ban he received in 2005. His son was given a 15-year ban.
RSPCA officers found five bull terrier-type dogs during a raid at a house in Butterworth Street in Swindon where Ian Draper was living at the time.
The dogs were chained up and being trained on treadmills. Weighted collars, rudimentary veterinary equipment and a video showing two dogs fighting was also found by the RSPCA.
Chief Inspector Mike Butcher of the RSPCA's special operations unit, tasked with fighting organised animal crime said: "A lot of people describe dog fighting as a sport, but there is nothing sporting in watching two dogs being made to tear each other apart.
"We are obviously pleased to see these men successfully through the court, but Ian and Danny Draper are not the first people to be sentenced for dog fighting, and sadly they won't be the last."