Alan Pownall of Seacombe, Wallasey, appeared at Wirral Magistrates’ on Friday Afternoon accused of killing a dog before dumping her body with rubbish.
The court heard that the body of the Staffordshire bull terrier, named Halo, was found lying on top of a children’s paddling pool and various rubbish in an alleyway behind houses in Paterson Street, Birkenhead, on 2 February this year.
Halo, who at the time Pownall was looking after for his daughter, had blood around her nose but did not appear to have any obvious injuries.
A police officer contacted the RSPCA, and Halo’s body was taken away for a post-mortem examination by RSPCA inspector Anthony Joynes.
Inspector Joynes said: “The post-mortem examination showed that Halo had suffered severe damage to her liver as a result of multiple blunt forces consistent with being kicked.
“After beating her to death, Pownall then dumped Halo’s body in an alleyway like she was a piece of rubbish.
“Pownall initially denied everything and said he had found Halo’s dead body one morning as a result of her strangling herself to death by her collar on a crate, but the post-mortem results told a very different story.
“He has now admitted in court that he was responsible for Halo’s death. It does not bear thinking about how horrific Halo’s last moments were. She must have been very frightened before she met her death in such a violent way. It turns my stomach that animal cruelty like this still happens. Halo deserved better than this.”
Pownall is due to be sentenced at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on Friday 17 November at 2pm.