A Northland man has been sent to jail for nine months for dragging his dog behind a car as punishment. It was the toughest sentence yet handed down under an SPCA prosecution. Joseph Rewha, 52, from Rawhiti, in the Bay of Islands, appeared in Kaikohe District Court yesterday for sentence afterearlier pleading guilty to one charge of wilfully mistreating an animal. On February 5, 2004, Rewha dragged his dog, Tipa, behind his car for approximately 800m at speeds of up to 80km/h, as punishment for the dog running away. Tipa suffered severe injuries but has recovered and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has since found it a new home with an Auckland family. Judge Russell Johnson jailed Rewha and banned him from owning animals for seven years. He also ordered that Rewha undergo alcohol and drug counselling on his release. Judge Johnson said Rewha's actions were callous and said the sentence was needed as a deterrent. He told Rewha he had subjected his dog to extreme cruelty when the dog had done no more than follow its instinct to be free. Defence lawyer Catherine Cull said the case, and subsequent news media publicity, had caused Rewha and his family a lot of stress and angst in their small community. She said nobody was making excuses for Rewha's actions, but said the dog had survived, was mobile, and had a new home. "Mr Rewha accepts it was not down to his actions that (the dog) recovered and he expresses thanks to the SPCA for that, but he should be sentenced at the lower end of the scale," Ms Cull said, suggesting a maximum three-month sentence . ? NZPA
