Howard insists he was not drowning pet as it appeared he was in video

The 28-year-old man who was captured on video seemingly drowning his dog on Pebbles Beach last September told the court on Tuesday that never happened and insisted he had loved his pet.

Davino Shakell Howard of Bullens Avenue, Dalkeith Road, St Michael sought to make that clear before being sentenced for wantonly ill-treating and causing unnecessary suffering to a dog on September 13, 2022 – a crime he pleaded guilty to last week.

“To be honest, I don’t really talk about it. I duh love that dog with all my heart; even people that know me will tell you. I can’t talk about that anymore,” the first-time offender, who got emotional at one point, told Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes before he was sentenced to 12 months’ probation, in addition to any counselling deemed necessary.

He received a similar sentence, on the recommendation of a pre-sentencing report conducted by the Probation Department, for two other offences arising out of the same case – owning a dog over the age of six months without obtaining a licence and withholding information requested by Sergeant of Police Cecil Taylor.

Sergeant Randolph Boyce disclosed the facts of the case in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court.

He said Howard was at the beach around 4:30 p.m. on the mentioned date with the dog which he took out to sea although conditions were rough at the time. He held the dog by a thick leash and was seen by several witnesses submerging the animal in the water and tossing it against the waves.

The prosecutor said Howard was told to stop but he ignored the bystanders. According to the facts, at one point the dog appeared to be trying to get out of the water but Howard threw him back into the water. After the animal went limp, the dog owner took it to shore where people on the beach tried to resuscitate it to no avail.

When asked to explain his actions, Howard initially told the court he had nothing to say. However, after he was given time to ponder his response, he returned before the Chief Magistrate and declared that he loved his dog which he had owned for two years.

Giving his version of events that day, Howard said: “I carry the dog to the beach like normal. I does go to the beach with he all the time…. As we were in the water, we playing like normal, I realised he was not active as before. So when I check now, the collar was choking him, so I lift he up and bring he out the water….

“Some water come out he mouth . . . . A lady come from nowhere with a bottle of water throwing on de dog . . . I trying to get out water, she throwing in water. . . . so I pat he some more. I ain’t get no more response, I take he up . . . and carry he home.”

When Magistrate Weekes told him there was a perception that he was drowning the dog, Howard replied: “No, Sir. At no time that happened.”

The Chief Magistrate subsequently imposed probation and told Howard: “I hope that during that time you will get to learn a number of things in relation to animals.”