Animal rights organisation Paw Justice has offered a $2500 reward to anyone who can help convict the person who burned a dog to death in Tauranga.
It has been nearly four months since Ryan Brunton's dog Atlas was killed in an arson attack at his Bethlehem home - and no arrests
have been made.
Mr Brunton returned home on December 6 to find his garage deliberately lit on fire, with his beloved dogue de bordeaux Atlas inside.
He hoped the reward would help motivate those who knew about the fire into speaking up.
"It's about justice at the end of the day," he said.
Animal abuse penalties, he said, needed to be harsher, otherwise people would continue to re-offend.
Paw Justice co-founder Shaughan Campbell said the group had successfully offered rewards for convictions several times before.
"That's part of what we do, is get justice for animals. Atlas didn't deserve what he got."
Mr Campbell hoped the saying "loose lips sink ships" would ring true and result in a court case.
"We are hoping it works. We are happy to pay out to see a bit of justice," he said.
"We are wanting to get results and the more people that know about what we are doing, the more likely we will."
Tauranga MP Simon Bridges successfully got the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, which increased penalties for abusers, through Parliament last year.
The maximum sentence for wilful ill-treatment of an animal has been increased from three to five years prison and the maximum fine doubled to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a company.
Penalties have also increased for a range of other neglect and ill-treatment offences and the act expands the law relating to forfeiture of animals and disqualification from having them.
It also creates a new offence of reckless ill-treatment, which will make it easier for offenders to be prosecuted.
Anyone with information on Atlas' death can contact police at the Tauranga Police Station and on 0800 SPEAK UP or Paw Justice through their Facebook site or by emailling info@pawjustice.co.nz.
