A distraught dog owner turned up at an animal rescue centre to demand his pet back – before going on a wrecking spree which caused thousands of pounds of damage.
The man arrived at the Scottish SPCA’s base at Drumoak in Aberdeenshire shortly before it closed for the day.
It is understood he had recently voluntarily given up his pet, but decided he wanted the animal back.
When staff refused to hand over the pup he started to smash up parts of the building.
He damaged the main door and windows before police arrived at the scene.
He was arrested by officer who arrived at the premises around 4.50pm yesterday.
Scottish SPCA chief inspector John Carle said last night: “Shortly before closing time an irate member of the public showed up at the centre and demanded his dog back.
“He relinquished the dog to us in the last week, but came back demanding it.
“He got very angry and smashed up the strong doors within the centre.
“If you look at the amount of damage done it will probably add up to thousands of pounds.
“It’s a real shame because money that would have gone towards the animals will have to be spent on the repairs.”
Aberdeenshire Council sent a van to the scene and an officer secured the main entry point to the centre, which had been damaged.
Police were unable to say last night whether the man had been charged.
The Scottish SPCA’s Drumoak centre, near Banchory, is open seven days a week.
It is currently caring for a number of animals, including dogs, rabbits and a snake.