A cruel pet owner filmed goading a dog into a fight-to-the death with a pet rat has been banned from keeping animals – apart from the dogs and ferrets he already has.
Liam Fair is seen swinging the rodent by the tail and batting it off his lurcher Jax’s nose in a Snapchat video that triggered a joint Scottish SPCA and police investigation.
When officers raided his “slum”-like home they found a menagerie of neglected animals, including five starving and worm-ridden puppies.
Fair later tried to explain away the rat-fight video to police by claiming he was training Jax as part of a fledgling pest control business.
The 21-year-old returned to Perth Sheriff Court for sentencing, having previously admitted encouraging Jax to attack, bite and kill the rat at his home in Corlundy Crescent, Crieff.
He also pled guilty to neglecting five puppies, three dogs and a kitten and failing to protect them from disease and suffering.
Rat fight video
Prosecutors said Fair’s ground-floor, one-bedroom council home was in a “properly poor state of repair” with almost all windows broken and boarded up.
The Scottish SPCA had been in contact with him about his animals for several years before the rat video came to light on October 22 2022.
Fair was identified in the 35-second clip trying to get Jax to attack the brown rat, although the dog initially seems uninterested.
In the video, he drops the rat on the floor and Jax starts to chase it.
He then picks up the rodent by the tail and whacks it against the dog’s face, causing it to snap back.
The video ends with the terrified rat scurrying under a hutch after being dropped on the ground by Fair a second time.
In the background, a dead white rat can be seen.
Animal welfare inspectors discovered a Facebook page used by Fair, in which he claims to be “owner and CEO” of a pest control company.
Fair posted that he been feeding his dog live rats in order to train them for his business.
Slum conditions
A search warrant was executed at his home.
Officers reported a strong smell of urine throughout.
“The flat can only be described as a slum with minimal personal possessions,” prosecutors said.
In the living room, there was a large puppy pen with young dogs walking around in their own diarrhoea, with no clean or dry resting areas.
Inspectors said it was evident just by looking at the puppies they were exceptionally underweight, with pot bellies “indicating a large worm burden”.
They also came across a Staffy called Honey, which appeared to be in a “lean” condition.
Elsewhere, there was a kitten in a generally good condition but appearing visibly distressed.
When officers seized it, Fair said: “Well, that was a waste of 20 quid then.”
The puppies were checked by the SSPCA and found to be emaciated, with a body score of one or two out of nine.
They were described as “weak and wobbly” due to being “severely under-nourished”.
Vet checks
Fair told police he was trying to train his dog so he could start a pest control business and “carry out this type of work”.
Prosecutors said he “did not appear to appreciate the seriousness of his actions”.
Defence solicitor Alan Davie said Fair had since made “positive changes”.
Vets were asked by the court to check the animals that Fair still had at the time – three dogs, five ferrets, eight puppies and a falcon.
All were said to be in good condition and appeared to be well looked after.
Fair has since sold one of the ferrets, no longer has the bird of prey and is in the process of having the four-week-old puppies rehomed.
“There is some support for Mr Fair in his community,” Mr Davie said.
“The first time I met him I approached him with trepidation but I found him to be perfectly reasonable to deal with but maybe he doesn’t always present well and is uncomfortable in certain environments.”
Banning order
Sheriff Alison Mackay said: “For someone who appears to like animals, the charges are awful.”
She told Fair: “These matters have been hanging over your head for some time.
“The condition of animals you were previously looking after was not acceptable – understand that the court takes that seriously and the charges taken together bring you to the threshold of custody.
“That said, I fully accept that there is an alternative to custody available.”
Fair was ordered to wear an electronic tag and stay home between 9pm and 7am as part of a five-month restriction of liberty order.
The sheriff issued a deprivation order for the seven animals seized by the SSPCA.
She imposed a disqualification order banning him from owning or keeping any domestic, farm or wild animals of any kind for a year.
However, Fair was allowed to keep his dogs and ferrets and the order was suspended until May 12 to give him time to rehome the eight puppies.
Fair’s own sister spoke to The Courier to slam the sentence afterwards.
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