A woman who kicked her dog and threw him against a wall in a fit of rage has been sentenced to one month of community detention and six months of supervision.
The defendant pleaded guilty in the Porirua District Court to a charge of reckless ill-treatment of an animal, after her small terrier breed dog suffered multiple fractured bones and a collapsed lung.
The SPCA was called to her property in April 2022, where an inspector discovered 'Mister' lying on his side. He was tethered to an outdoor railing at the back of the property and did not move when approached. His left eye was swollen and red.
Mister was taken directly to the nearest vet for emergency treatment.
The defendant told SPCA inspectors she’d leashed her dog after he’d woken her in the night and had gone toilet inside.
When she did this, Mister tried to bite her.
"I just grabbed him by his collar, pulled him up, put it on and I just went boot, and just threw him," she told inspectors.
She said the small dog’s actions had made her angry, and she wanted to discipline him.
Despite admitting to throwing him against a wall, she said she never intended to hurt him.
A vet found Mister to be in immense pain, particularly on his ribs, abdomen and left shoulder, which made a "crunching" noise when moved. X-rays showed the dog had multiple fractured ribs and a collapsed lung.
He also had a severely fractured scapula in two places, and some of the rib fractures appeared to be between two and four weeks old.
SPCA Chief Executive Todd Westwood says the abuse was horrific and unacceptable.
"It’s sickening to think of the fear, pain and distress this helpless family pet endured at the hands of the person who was meant to care for him," says Westwood. "Mister did not deserve any of this, and I’m so grateful that SPCA was alerted to this abuse before it could continue."
Mister spent several weeks receiving care at SPCA’s Wellington Centre and eventually made a full recovery. He has since been adopted.
As well as a sentence of community detention and supervision, the defendant was disqualified from owning dogs for three years and ordered to pay reparations of $598.17.
