A 40-year-old Port Kennedy man has been convicted of animal cruelty after leaving his Siberian Husky puppy to suffer broken bones and other medical issues untreated.
The man appeared in Rockingham Magistrates Court via video link from Albany Regional Prison where he is serving a sentence on unrelated matters. He was fined $7,500 and banned from owning an animal for five years.
The court heard an RSPCA WA inspector attended the man's home in September 2022 and saw the four-month-old dog, Milly, hiding down the side of the sofa. When she asked if the puppy was friendly, the offender said the dog would try to bite him ever since he gave her 'a smack' for toileting inside.
Milly was friendly but timid with the inspector who observed the dog was in pain. She instructed the offender to seek treatment for the puppy.
Later that day, a vet examined Milly and told the inspector the puppy had a right eye haemorrhage that suggested blunt trauma; short and curled whiskers which indicated they had been burnt; a shattered right femur and femoral head with a significant degree of bone remodelling which indicated the injury was four to six weeks old; and a fractured left fore foot.
The vet suggested the puppy was 10/10 lame in her right hind leg and had a pain score of 3/5. Further examination uncovered she had fractures which were not healing and chronic rib fractures.
The puppy was euthanised on humane grounds due to a poor prognosis for long-term comfort as a result of multiple fractures affecting all limbs, her pelvis and her growth plates.
In sentencing, Magistrate Brian Mahon said he was "absolutely satisfied that (Milly) did suffer" and that the offender "exposed an animal to pain and unnecessary suffering".
RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said it's dreadful to think how much pain Milly was in.
"The poor little thing had spent at least a quarter of her short life with untreated fractures and in pain," she said.
"A dog should be treated with love, care and respect. Despite her life being short and tragic, I'm pleased we got some justice for Milly today."
The offender was convicted under sections 19(1) and 19(3)(h) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002. He was found to have been cruel to an animal in that Milly suffered harm which could have been alleviated by the taking of reasonable steps.
The maximum penalty for a charge of animal cruelty is a $50,000 fine and five years in prison.
RSPCA WA thanks Zarah Burgess from Burgess Criminal Lawyers for her assistance in this matter.
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
