The heartbroken owners of a dog which was brutally burned to death have moved north to start a new life on the Moray Firth coast.
Christopher McMahon and Chermaine Letham of Kirkcaldy, Fife, said Alastair Graham should be “left to rot” after he tied their pet Bruno to a tree, doused him in petrol and set him alight.
Graham, 23, was told he faces a maximum of a year in jail after he admitted killing the Staffordshire cross at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court this week.
Ms Letham said she could no longer live in Fife after the horrific attack in April.
She has now moved to Portsoy and Mr McMahon is looking for a home nearby.
She said: “When I found out about Bruno and the terrible way he had passed my heart was broken.
“I no longer live in Fife as I don’t want to be in a place so full of evil.
“Bruno was a very loving and caring dog who enjoyed long cuddles. He was so gentle around children and other dogs.
“He loved company and hated being on his own. He’ll be deeply missed by all of us.”
Mr McMahon added: “I’m moving to Portsoy soon, it’s just a struggle to find a place to stay.
“There are a lot of bad memories here, some that still haunt me, I need to get away.”
On Monday Sheriff James Williamson heard Graham was looking after Bruno for a friend and snapped when the animal bit his finger.
He tied the dog to a tree in Dunnikeir Woods in Kirkcaldy and initially attempted slit his throat and stab him to death.
When that failed Graham went to a nearby petrol station and filled up a can, before pouring the flammable liquid over the terrified animal and setting it on fire.
Under the Animal Health and Welfare act he can only be jailed for a maximum of a year. But he will face “years” in jail after he also admitted an attempted knife robbery carried out days before he killed Bruno.
Sheriff James Williamson deferred sentence on Graham until next month for social work reports and a risk assessment.
Bruno’s family are to host a sponsored 10-mile walk around his favourite haunts to raise money for animal welfare charity, the Scottish SPCA, on August 24.