Key Points
- A 16-week-old puppy named Mabel was brought to a vet in critical condition with severe burns, scalding, bleeding, lameness and acute pain on Christmas Eve 2024.
- Levi Balmer pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to causing the puppy unnecessary suffering through extreme abuse, including holding her on a hot surface and physical attacks.
- Balmer received a 162-hour community payback order, 12 months social work supervision and a 10-year ban on keeping dogs.
- Scottish SPCA described the case as one of the most distressing involving extreme abuse and cruelty.
Glasgow (Glasgow Express) February 14, 2026 – A puppy found dumped in critical condition on a Glasgow street required oxygen and suffered horrific injuries from deliberate abuse before her death.
According to reporting by STV News, the 16-week-old Cane Corso cross American Bully named Mabel was presented dead on arrival at a veterinary practice on Christmas Eve 2024, after repeated visits for suspicious injuries. The Scottish SPCA confirmed she endured second and third-degree burns to her face, hind limbs, tail and pads from being held on a hot surface in Levi Balmer’s Rutherglen flat, along with a fractured tooth from physical attack, shoulder wounds, blood from nose and mouth, and acute pain.
What abuse did the puppy endure?
Reporting by the Scottish SPCA detailed Mabel’s timeline of injuries starting November 26, 2024, when she suffered bleach contact, followed by lethargy, blood in urine and chipped teeth on December 11 after Balmer claimed he tripped on her. On December 21, she appeared for emergency care with non-weight bearing lameness, facial swelling and eating difficulties, which Balmer attributed to her being injury-prone and crashing into her crate.
As reported by STV News, suspicions of abuse led to a scheduled follow-up on December 27, but Mabel was brought in deceased on December 24, with a vet alerting the Scottish SPCA helpline over her dire state including scalding and bleeding.
How did authorities respond to the case?
Levi Balmer pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to causing Mabel unnecessary physical and mental suffering that led to her death from pain-related stress, according to both STV News and Scottish SPCA reports.
What sentence was imposed on the perpetrator?
The court handed Balmer a 162 hours community payback order, 12 months social work supervision and a 10-year ban on owning, keeping or taking charge of dogs, as stated in Scottish SPCA coverage.
What have officials said about the incident?
A Scottish SPCA inspector described the image of Mabel as haunting, noting her wounds indicated extreme abuse and cruelty in one of the most distressing cases handled, per STV News. The organisation emphasised the puppy’s short life marked by severe physical and mental torment.
