21st October 2026
A man has pleaded guilty to what the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) has described as ‘one of the most serious cases of animal fighting’.
25-year-old Ryan Cringean, from Locharbriggs, near Dumfries, used a lurcher and Patterdale Terrier to kill a variety of wild animals, including badgers, foxes and squirrels between June 2024 and February 2025.
Cringean recorded the fighting on his mobile phone.
Today (20 October) Dumfries Sheriff Court heard that in those videos a badger could be heard screaming, and on another occasion a squirrel was frantically trying to climb a wall to get away from the dogs after being released from a trap.
One of the dogs had to have reconstructive jaw surgery but has since recovered and been re-homed. The other had to be euthanised.
The SSPCA says it is one of the most serious animal fighting cases they have dealt with to date.
Cringean admitted 11 charges, including hunting with dogs, allowing dogs to engage in fighting with wild animals and causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
He is likely to face prison, and is due to be sentenced on the 18th of November.