A 31-year-old Champion Lakes woman has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly slapping, forcefully throwing and otherwise roughly handling a dog.
RSPCA WA will allege the accused caused the tan and white Maltese X Shih tzu dog distress and pain while she was employed as a groomer at a business in September 2021.
CCTV supplied to the RSPCA allegedly shows the woman cornering the dog before slapping him on the head with an open hand, lifting him off the grooming table by his ears, throwing him into a bath with force, holding him down with her body weight, and lifting him by the lead around his neck, before throwing him into a cage.
The accused has been charged under sections 19(1), 19(2)(a) and 19(3)(b)(ii) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002. RSPCA WA will allege the accused was cruel to an animal while the animal was in her care during a dog grooming session by ill-treating him and restraining him in a manner likely to cause unnecessary harm.
The charges will be heard in Armadale Magistrates Court on 11 October 2023.
The maximum penalty for a charge of animal cruelty is a $50,000 fine and five years in prison.
The RSPCA relies on the community to report incidents of suspected cruelty and neglect. Report cruelty 24/7 on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 358) or at rspcawa.org.au
