A 41-year-old Parmelia woman has been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly failing to provide a male Chihuahua, who did not belong to her, with proper and sufficient food.
Following a cruelty report made by a WA Police detective in September 2023 relating to a 'severely underweight' dog at a Parmelia property, an RSPCA WA inspector attended the accused's home.
The inspector ascertained the dog did not belong to the accused and questioned her as to why he had been in her backyard for approximately three weeks.
The accused said the dog had followed her home when she was walking her dog along a nearby pond and she had the idea to feed him 'a bit of food here and there, try and sort of fatten him up and get him a bit more healthy before he went home to his owners'.
She admitted she knew she could have taken the dog to a vet or called the ranger to get his microchip details and reunite him with his owner but she had not taken him. She explained she had not taken him to the vet regarding his underweight body due to financial constraints.
She also explained she could not afford proper dog food and had instead been feeding him Weetbix, cereal, rice, and leftovers.
After examining the dog, the inspector noted he was emaciated with the outline of his spine, ribs, and pelvis visible. He was also wearing two collars – the one given to him by his owner and one the accused put on him.
He was transported to the Animal Care Centre in Malaga and a vet advised he weighed only 3.4kg, had no muscle mass, and had a body condition score of 1/9 (5/9 is considered ideal).
He was placed on a feeding regime and was eventually reunited with his owner who had been searching for him for four weeks. A week after being back at home, the dog had gained an extra two kilograms.
The accused has been charged under sections 19(1) and 19(3)(d) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002. RSPCA WA will allege while she was a person in charge of the dog, she failed to provide him with proper and sufficient food.
The maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine and five years in prison.
The matter has been listed for first hearing in Armadale Magistrates Court on 14 February 2025.
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.
