A Whangarei man convicted of failing to provide veterinary treatment for his dog was sentenced to 120 hours' community work, ordered to pay reparation of $3163 and disqualified from owning animals for five years.
He had found his dog unconscious on the road after it had been hit by a car. He took it home and left it in the garage because he was too busy to take it to a vet. Two days later the dog managed to stagger to a neighbour's property, and they called the SPCA. It had two skull fractures, spinal compression and tenderness over most of his body.
A Whangarei woman convicted of ill-treating and failing to ensure that the physical, health and behavioural needs of a dog were met was sentenced to 200 hours' community work, ordered to pay reparation of $2000 and disqualified from owning animals for five years.
SPCA inspectors had found a dog tied by a chain that had embedded in the back of its neck, and a tight nylon collar that had caused an infected throat wound. Surgery was needed to remove the chain.
The most shameful act over the last 12 months, according to the SPCA, was committed by two men who filmed themselves while encouraging dogs to attack two goats, then posting the videos on social media. They will be sentenced on December 14.
A Greymouth man was jailed for two years and five months after he beat one cat to death with a tomahawk, then doused a second cat with petrol, set it alight and filmed it. The cat was badly burned but survived. A second man involved in that incident spent six weeks in custody before being sentenced to 200 hours' community work and four months' community detention.
The 2015 List of Shame was released yesterday, in conjunction with the SPCA's annual appeal, its biggest fundraising event for the year. The list is designed to raise awareness of animal welfare issues and the on-going need for education and vigilance around preventing cruelty to animals.
Chief executive Ric Odom said the job of animal rescue and protection was often a challenging and heart-breaking one.
"Sadly, the List of Shame shows the SPCA and the public there is still work to be done to protect New Zealand's animals," he said.
"The list highlights the on-going need for the inspectorates who daily rescue abused and neglected animals, as well as providing education, vet care and shelter for these vulnerable pets. The entire SPCA team and volunteers would love to see the day when we don't have enough content to create a List of Shame. We are not there yet, but we are committed to doing everything we can to prevent the sort of cruelty our teams deal with daily."
Molly, a 4-month-old Labrador-cross, is the 'face' of this year's appeal. Her owners went to Wellington for a week, leaving her tied up in the back yard, her rope tether cutting into her neck, almost severing her jugular vein. She had had four operations since arriving at the SPCA, and was now on the mend.
In most instances the cost of investigating and prosecuting cases of cruelty and neglect, often running into tens of thousands of dollars, is met by the SPCA, almost entirely funded by donations and legacies.
Street collectors will be on the streets on Friday. Donations can also be made at any branch of the ASB, or at www.spcaannualappeal.org.nz
