Plymouth man handed animal ban for mistreating dog
Nathan Williams was found guilty of an animal welfare offence, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA
Last updated 23rd Apr 2025
This article may contain upsetting details
A man from Plymouth who was caught on camera mistreating his dog has been banned from keeping animals.
Nathan Williams, who is 29 and from Hereford Road, was found guilty of an animal welfare offence, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
The animal welfare charity was contacted by a housing officer who raised concerns about footage showing Williams outside his property with one of his dogs, known as Bentley, which he appeared to be mistreating.
The footage was shared with a vet who voiced concerns about the conduct caught on camera.
In their report, the vet who watched the video, said: “In one video he leans over the dog and shooes him away with his hand.
"The way in which he does this is intimidating. Bentley cows down and looks afraid. He uses bad language towards his dog, and tells him what he will or will not do to him.
"Although Bentley would not have been able to understand the language used, he would have understood the harsh and frightening intonation of the voice.
“The dog’s natural inclination when afraid would have been to run to the house, however the owner blocked it and made him go away from his home which he would have seen as a place of refuge.
“The other video shows Bentley near another dog. He tries to get to the other dog but is instead ushered away from the other dog and the safety of the house. Again, the man uses intimidating body language and talks loudly to the dog in a frightening manner.
“Williams also throws a rake at Bentley with the metal part going first. It is unknown whether the rake actually hits him. In these incidents I witnessed both physical and psychological abuse.”
Williams was banned from keeping animals for seven years at Plymouth Magistrates Court on 10 April. He had been found guilty in his absence at an earlier hearing. Alongside the disqualification, which he can not appeal for five years, he was ordered to pay £520.
In mitigation it was said that Wiliams denied the rake hit Bentley.
RSPCA Inspector Jim Farr, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said: “Sharing our lives with our pets is a privilege and they should be treated with kindness and compassion at all times.”