A Scottish care worker has been handed a six-month suspension order after hitting his dog with such force it later died.
David Aird struck his chihuahua Archie at his home in Tranent, East Lothian, in February 2021, causing him to suffer a fatal haemorrhage.
A postmortem found that the pooch died from “blunt force trauma” and may have endured great pain before the injuries left him unconscious.
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The support worker for adults admitted to hitting Archie at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in September last year and was banned from keeping pets for 20 years.
As a result of the incident, the 29-year-old has now been issued with a six month suspension order by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).
The SSSC said: "Social service workers must not behave, while in or outside work, in a way which would bring their suitability to work in social services into question.
"You struck your pet dog on the head with your hand, resulting in your dog’s death.
