Douglas man in animal ban over hawks and dogs find

Police began investigating following reports hawks were being kept in poor conditions

A man who kept two birds of prey illegally and left two dogs in "appalling conditions" has been banned from keeping animals.

Richard William Miller, from Douglas, was convicted of illegally possessing Harris hawks and cruelty to the dogs.

The dogs were discovered "underweight" when the birds were found at a property in August 2016.

Miller, 41, was banned from keeping animals for 10 years and fined £4,500 at Douglas Court House on Friday.

The dogs were being kept in a downstairs toilet with no food or water

Police began investigating following reports hawks were being kept in poor conditions without the required licence to keep the birds of prey.

They raided a property and also found two dogs in a downstairs toilet on "a urine-soaked piece of foam surrounded by faeces", police said.

Miller, of Alder Road, left them with the no food or water and one was "stained with urine".

PC Mark Kerruish said the dogs had "prominent back bones".

"One of the dogs was stained yellow to the lower part of its body as a result of urine staining, and it took three to four months of regular washing to remove the staining.

"Any offences relating to the cruelty or neglect of animals are taken very seriously," he said.

The dogs have recovered and are waiting to be rehomed and the hawks have been taken to a UK-based sanctuary.