A jobless criminal has been revealed as the thug who was caught on film kicking a puppy into the air in a South London park.
Footage of Arthur Kent's sickening attack sparked a Facebook-led manhunt after it was posted on YouTube by a horrified onlooker.
Attack: Arthur Kent admits he kicked his brother's dog Thumper in a park earlier this year.
Kent, 24, who was released from prison in January after serving 18 months for robbery, faces jail again if he is convicted of animal cruelty for his assault on his brother's puppy, Thumper.
Before he was apprehended, Kent is claimed to have joked about the incident - answering the phone to a friend, Craig Connan, by saying 'Battersea Dogs Home.'
Kent takes aim at the poor animal in the now infamous YouTube video
When confronted by Channel 5 news reporter Jason Farrell, Kent insisted he lost his temper with the dog in Knee Hill Park, Abbey Wood after it urinated on his trousers and refused to walk on the lead.
Kent, who has his own dog called Bouncer, insists he is 'ashamed and disgusted' with himself after seeing footage of the incident.
He said: 'I would never hurt an animal, I've had dogs my whole life. If I saw someone doing that to a dog I'd want to punch them in the face.'
Ken was slammed by his own cousin, Kerry Williams, 20, who claimed he was a victim of 'broken Britain.'
At one stage, the puppy was kicked so hard that it was lifted off the ground at the park in Abbey Wood, South East London.
Details of the incident caused a public outcry. A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who have impounded the puppy, said : 'We are still in the process of investigating this incident. Our investigators are questioning a man.'
Police are understood to have arrested him, interviewed him and released him without charge before RSPCA officials took over the case.
Soon after the clip was posted, an RSPCA spokesman said: 'The footage is extremely shocking as it shows what appears to be a man deliberately kicking the dog with some considerable force.'
The film sparked anger in internet chatrooms. One post on the Life With Dogs site said: 'What a disgrace! That poor sweet puppy is terrified of this vile human. Let's get to work and get this guy!
'We must hunt him down, bring him to justice and save that sweet dog from certain death.'
Another animal lover said: 'The dog looks so scared and hesitant to follow him.'
Kent, who was brought up along with five other siblings by his single mother in Bexleyheath, had received death threats on Facebook since his identity was revealed.
The RSPCA have confirmed an investigation is ongoing. If convicted , he faces a lifetime ban on keeping animals, six months in prison and a fine of up to £20,000.
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