Thug is caught beating his dog as he is banned from keeping pets

Have YOU got a story? Email Joshua.Haining@dailymail.co.ukBy JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:30 BST, 15 May 2026 | Updated: 17:41 BST, 15 May 2026

A cruel thug who was caught on CCTV, punching, kicking and slapping his dog eight times has been banned from keeping animals for life.Mason Sestanovich, brutally beat his XL Bully called Chicago in a disgusting attack, leaving her cowering in the hallway of a block of flats in Hyde Park Terrace, Sheffield.The harrowing footage captured the 24-year-old viciously attacking the dog for nearly a minute on October 4, 2023. Sestanovich kicked and slapped the dog leaving her wincing and trying to hide. He then picked her up by her collar and hung her in the air before smacking her five more times.Chicago was in so much pain and fear during the beating, she defecated as the thug walked away at the end of the 52 second video. Unbelievably, the loyal dog still followed its owner. The RSPCA launched an investigation into the beating after the horrified housing manager saw the footage and sent it to the charity. An RSPCA officer went to the flat in Hyde Park Terrace and found the poor dog was kept in a crate without food or water. Sestanovich from Wincobank, Sheffield, admitted inflicting blunt force trauma, physical violence and intimidatory behaviour on the canine under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. XL Bully, Chicago, was brutally beaten by her owner Mason Sestanovich, for nearly a minute at a block of flats in Hyde Park Terrace, Sheffield Harrowing CCTV footage captured the 24-year-old beating, kicking and slapping the dog for 52 seconds, leaving her in so much pain and fear she defecated The thug narrowly avoided jail and was banned from keeping animals for life at Sheffield Magistrate's Court on May 1.He narrowly avoided jail after he was given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for a year, 100 hours unpaid work and was banned from keeping animals for life at Sheffield Magistrate's Court on May 1. The thug was also ordered to pay £400 in court costs and a £154 victim surcharge.A clinical behaviourist at the RSPCA said: 'Chicago was grabbed roughly and beaten and the dog's body language expressed extreme fear.'And the violence of the man's gestures indicates the blows were delivered to the dog with extreme violence and caused pain.'Blood tests at a veterinary examination found the dog had suffered stress, likely from being beaten. The vet who checked Chicago said: 'During the beating on the footage it was obvious the dog was scared as she was cowering and defecating.'Sestanovich claimed that Chicago was an XL Bully but refused to hand the canine over to the RSPCA or register her which he was told was required by law.Chicago was assessed at a rehoming centre but due to the current government legislation on XL Bullies, Chicago was put down. The court was told Sestanovich regretted his actions and was ashamed of his behaviour.