Woman’s ‘horrific abuse and violence’ towards pet dog condemned

A woman who threw her dog against a wall, breaking several bones and puncturing her lung, has been sentenced to community detention by the Porirua District Court and banned from owning dogs for three years.

The SPCA, which charged the woman with reckless cruelty to an animal, said an inspector was called to the property in April 2022 and found the white terrier named Mister tied to an outside ladder at the back of the building. .

He was lying on his side with a swollen and red eye.

The inspector was concerned, so he took the dog to the nearest veterinary clinic for emergency treatment before transferring him to the SPCA’s Wellington base.

A veterinarian who evaluated Mister said he appeared to be in “immense pain,” particularly in his ribs, abdomen, and left shoulder, which made a “crunching” sound when moved.

X-rays showed that Mister had multiple rib fractures, some of which appeared to be between two and four weeks old, a punctured lung and a severely broken shoulder.

Her owner told SPCA inspectors that the night before, the dog had woken her and her sleeping children after getting its claws into a rug.

While trying to help her, she accidentally stood in her excrement, which made her angry.

“The next day, the defendant decided to punish Mister by putting him on a leash outside. But when he did this, Mister tried to bite him.

The owner admitted to SPCA inspectors that he had thrown the dog.
Photo: SPCA

She told the inspectors: “I just grabbed him by the neck, I pulled him, I put him in and I just booted him, and then I threw him.”

She said she had chased Mister “to discipline him” and had not intended to hurt the dog.

SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said such “horrific abuse and violence” towards animals was unacceptable.

“It is heartbreaking to think of the fear, pain and anguish this helpless family has suffered at the hands of the person who was meant to care for him,” he said. “Mister deserved none of this and I am so grateful that the SPCA was alerted to this abuse before it could continue.”

Mister spent several weeks receiving treatment and eventually made a full recovery. He has since been adopted.

The defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one month of community detention and six months of supervision.

She was also disqualified from owning dogs for three years and ordered to pay restitution of $598.17.