Horrifying moment professional dog walker grabs spaniel by the scruff of the neck and hurls him against a brick wall
This is the horrific moment a professional dog walker grabbed a spaniel by the scruff of the neck and slammed him twice into a brick wall in a fit of rage.
Luke Cobb, 38, was caught on a neighbor’s doorbell camera chasing a small black dog behind his home in Brighton on Monday morning.
In the shocking footage, Mr Cobb was heard shouting the spaniel’s name – Sam – then yanking on his collar and lifting him half a meter off the ground, causing him to struggle.
The dog then wriggled free before Mr Cobb picked him up and slammed him into the side of the house twice in quick succession before running away.
Mr Cobb claimed the spaniel tried to bite him and so he responded by pushing the dog against a wall in a ‘moment of anger’. He was later arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty.
Luke Cobb, 38, was caught by a neighbor’s doorbell camera chasing a small black dog behind his home in Brighton on Monday morning
The dog then wriggled free before Mr Cobb picked him up and slammed him into the side of the house twice in quick succession before running away.
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said last night: ‘We are aware of a video circulating in Brighton today of a man harming a dog.
‘A 38-year-old man from Brighton has been arrested on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
“We take this matter seriously and ask the public to refrain from any speculation.”
Mr Cobb and his partner run a successful dog sitting and walking business from their home called Harvey’s Walks.
Last night he sent his customers a message via WhatsApp saying he was ‘really, really sorry’ for what had happened.
He said: ‘I understand by now, you have seen that there is a video of me going around on social media where I am losing my patience with a dog that has run away from me, and in it you can see that I pushed the dog angrily against the wall after he tried to bite me. I have no excuse for my behavior.
‘I lost my patience and made a terrible mistake. I’m trying to face this and do the right thing, but there’s really nothing I can say to excuse myself.
“I’m so sorry to all of you, I let you all down in a moment of anger. “I spoke to the owner and let them know what happened, and I’m really, really sorry for what I did.”
It is said that Cobb recently lost a dog named Donut while on a hike, who is still missing.
Donut’s distraught owner wrote on Instagram that he hoped “justice would now be served” after this new video came to light, but that he “feared the worst” about what might have happened to his own pet.
He said, ‘This same man lost my dog. He and his partner showed no remorse and he was absolutely mean to my girlfriend.
‘The only reason we used them was because my son with additional needs had to have surgery.
‘Luke and his partner had my partner and son walking through the field in heavy rain and high winds while I drove back from London to help with the search.
‘I tried to take legal action, but the lawyers said there was nothing I could do. I feel so sorry for Sam the dog, but I’m thrilled that Luke is now named and shamed.
In the shocking footage, Mr Cobb was heard shouting the spaniel’s name – Sam – before yanking on his collar and lifting him two feet off the ground, causing him to struggle.
Mr Cobb and his partner run a successful dog sitting and walking business from their home called Harvey’s Walks
‘Luke was such a hateful p****, if I had gone there he would have happily called the police.
‘It has been so terrible for my family, I am so happy he has now been arrested.’
Another former client added: ‘I’m devastated. He walked my dog and has or had a dog himself named Harvey. It’s very sad to think of the other dogs he could have harmed, including mine and his own. It’s terrible.’
Faye Blackwell, 38, today told how she was now ‘reconsidering’ what happened to her dog Donut.
She booked the one-year-old Border Terrier with Cobb in March this year for four days of walking while she cared for her son, who was undergoing surgery in hospital. Her husband worked in London.
However, Cobb lost Donut when he took him for a walk in a local park and the dog has not been seen since.
Mrs Blackwell, from Brighton, told MailOnline: ‘The way Luke behaved after Donut went missing was appalling. He was very angry, very defensive, very unhelpful and very threatening.
‘All we wanted was to get our dog back, but he completely distanced himself from any blame. He said he didn’t lose Donut, but Donut ran off. He blamed the dog, but he was just a puppy, very nervous.
Today a police car is pictured outside Luke Cobb’s home in Brighton
Last night, Cobb sent his customers a message via WhatsApp saying he was “really, really sorry” for what happened. Pictured: Outside Luke Cobb’s house
‘Luke didn’t want to help us look for Donut and just cut off all contact completely after two weeks.
‘So when I was sent the camera footage yesterday, I wasn’t the least bit surprised. Mainly because of the lack of empathy.
‘I couldn’t watch the whole thing because I thought it was too shocking. But what it has done is that I keep replaying what happened to Doughut in my head.
‘What made him run away and never return? He’s chipped, but we haven’t heard anything.
‘Did something happen to make him run off? If Luke behaves like this with a spaniel, or any breed of dog in the video, he could seriously harm a small puppy.
‘I’ve heard him shout at dogs, so I know he can have a very aggressive manor.
‘Myself and my husband reported Luke to the police last night as we immediately recognized him from the video. He is not allowed to continue as a dog walker. What he did was disgraceful.”