Exactly! This awful man should never be allowed to own animals for the rest of his life! Once an abuser, always an abuser. No matter that he is a vet. It doesn't excuse this abusive behavior, especially over tiny dogs!
I don't think he should get his dogs back until a psych eval is done and he's deemed ok to own an animal. I also think that your reporter's continued hounding of him for an interview after he clearly declined was appropriate or professional.