A South Yorkshire man who was filmed hitting his dog in a Bunnings car park has said his life has been ruined after the footage went viral and he received death threats.
Josh Reynolds, 26, was captured on CCTV striking his pet Staffie cross, Snoop, in front of shocked onlookers in Doncaster. The video shows him grabbing the dog by the collar and landing three blows to its face.
Reynolds, who handed himself into police, insists he did not punch the dog with a closed fist and acted out of character due to emotional distress. He said Snoop had run off earlier after being spooked by a car, and he spent two hours searching for him.
'I am not trying to justify what I did or defend my actions,' Reynolds said. 'I did slap the dog, I admit it, but it was not malicious. I was just emotional because he had ran off.'
Reynolds said Snoop has now been rehomed and he is devastated to have lost his 'best friend'. He also fears losing his job as a care support worker for adults with autism, and said his family has been threatened by vigilantes.
'I came home from the police station and locked myself in my room and curled up into a ball, I just wanted to die,' he added.
