Arrest in dog cruelty case

A Bay of Islands man will appear in the Kaikohe District Court today on Animal Welfare Act charges after a young dog was tied behind a car and dragged along a road for about 800m.

Tipa, an 18-month-old german shepherd cross, was found tied to a tree near Rawhiti in the Bay of Islands in February suffering from major injuries and scarring as a result of his ordeal.

Russell police have now arrested a 52-year-old part-time fisherman in connection with the incident.

He faces a charge of wilfully ill-treating a dog and a further charge of failing to alleviate the animal's suffering after it was injured.


Tipa was seen being dragged behind a car over metalled and sealed sections of a Bay of Islands road.


He was then tied up to a tree but was released some days later and taken to the Bay of Islands SPCA in Kerikeri for treatment.

Tipa made a full recovery and now has a permanent home in Auckland with a Blockhouse Bay family.

SPCA Bay of Islands inspector and prosecutor Jim Boyd said yesterday Tipa had been doing so well at dog obedience classes at his new home that he was now being used as a role model for other dogs in the classes.