Children in Ashburton have been injecting ducks with petrol and trying to set them alight, a local animal welfare inspector says.
SPCA Mid Canterbury inspector John Keeley says he has received reports from a member of the public who had seen children in the town's domain injecting ducks with petrol and
setting fire to them.
Mr Keeley said he had reported the incident to police with the names of the children believed to be involved.
But Ashburton police said they had yet to receive an official complaint.
Mr Keeley said it was not the first time that ducks had been tortured in the domain. In the past, rubber bands had been put around ducks' necks.
Mr Keeley said he was extremely disappointed by the incidents, which had wider implications for the community. A report released earlier this year suggested strong connections between animal cruelty and family violence, he said.
The incident is one of several cases of extreme animal cruelty, according to the SPCA.
SPCA chief executive Peter Blomkamp said the worst incidents, which included chickens killed by pencil stabs and ducks blown up with home-made bombs, were atrocious.
"Collectively, they prompt deep concern over the warped and sadistic personalities of some of our fellow citizens," he said.
The Animal Welfare Act allowed for fines of up to $50,000 and possible imprisonment of three years.
Mr Blomkamp said judges need to be more forceful in sentencing.
"We need a far more robust attitude from the courts - which continue to hand down sentences which make a mockery of our animal welfare legislation."
- NZPA
