A 33-year-old Cooloongup woman was on Monday fined $4000 and banned from owning animals for three years after pleading guilty to not providing enough food and water to her Rottweilers, Arlo and Memphis.
Rockingham Magistrates Court heard RSPCA WA inspectors responded to a cruelty report made by a Port Kennedy vet in April 2023 after they had to humanely euthanise the offender's 4-year-old Rottweiler, Memphis, when he was brought in for a consultation.
The report characterised Memphis as "unable to move, all bones visible, cold to touch, and gums white". He was also covered in fleas to the point there were some areas of his body where his skin was not visible.
The offender explained Memphis was not being fed enough due to her financial constraints but said she had been feeding him twice a day.
An inspector attended the woman's home and examined her other Rottweiler, 6-year-old Arlo, and noted he was very underweight, had pale gums, and was also covered in fleas. The offender surrendered him to RSPCA WA and he was transported to Perth Vet Emergency for immediate assessment.
A vet examination of Arlo revealed he had a body condition score of 2/9 (with 4-5/9 being considered ideal), was suffering from mild to moderate dehydration, and was moderately anaemic due to the heavy flea burden. He was transported to RSPCA WA's Animal Care Centre in Malaga where he was treated and gained 7.4kg in nine weeks after being placed on a feeding regime. He was adopted a few months later.
In sentencing, Magistrate Steven Malley said the offending conduct was "appalling" and reminded the offender owning a dog means accepting the "responsibility to care for them".
RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said Memphis' condition was one of the worst she had ever seen.
"The offender had a responsibility to not only feed her dogs but also seek vet care for their poor conditions and flea burden but she ultimately failed them," she said.
"We know times are tough for lots of people at the moment but there are so many ways to seek help such as asking family, looking in online groups and forums for free items, coming along to our community outreach days, or reaching out to shelters for any help they might be able to provide."
The offender was sentenced under sections 19(1) and 19(3)(d) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002. She was found to have been cruel to both dogs in that she did not provide them with proper and sufficient food and water. 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
