A 32-year-old Kaitaia woman who tied up a dog with wire, causing a 24cm gash in its neck, and tied another dog to a clothesline without shelter, was sentenced to four month's community detention when she appeared before the Kaitaia District Court yesterday.
Chante Roycroft, who was also disqualified from owning companion animals for five years and was ordered to pay reparation of $84.83, had earlier admitted charges, involving two dogs, of failing to protect an animal from and rapidly diagnose any significant injury or disease, failing to ensure an ill or injured animal received treatment that alleviated any unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress, ill-treatment of an animal, causing unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress, and refusing or failing to comply with the requirement of an inspector to prevent or mitigate the suffering of an animal.
The charges arose from offences committed last year, beginning on April 3 when she surrendered a brown female Staffordshire terrier-type dog to the Far North District Council. An Animal Control officer gave the dog into the custody of the SPCA.
An SPCA inspector and a veterinarian found the dog had a large, gaping, infected wound in its throat , 24cm long, 3cm wide and 3cm deep, described by the veterinarian as consistent with wire being tied tightly around its neck until it cut into the skin, which would have been very painful and distressing.
When interviewed, Roycroft produced a length of wire that had been used to tie up the dog. She had noticed the injury two days prior to the visit from the council, but had not sought veterinary treatment because she had no money and the wound was "smelly". She had left the dog to "get better on her own".
