A 38-year-old Piara Waters man has been fined $2000 after being caught on CCTV throwing a cat several metres through the air.
The Perth Magistrates Court today heard that the offender was walking along Sheldon Street Piara Waters with three friends at around midnight on 16 January 2022 when he spotted the cat, Blossom, out the front of the house where she lives.
The offender can be seen walking up to Blossom, who was facing away from him, picking her up by the tail and throwing her approximately five to seven metres in the direction of people walking behind him.
The group can be seen laughing as the cat lands on her side on a concrete path in front of the house next door.
Following the incident, the cat was required to be assessed by a veterinarian on two occasions and was provided with pain relief. Further, her owners say her demeanour changed, describing her as ‘quite clingy’.
In sentencing, Magistrate Kelly Thompson said she was satisfied the offender was ashamed and remorseful and acknowledged he has taken steps to address factors that influenced the offending conduct.
However, Magistrate Thompson also said Blossom was a vulnerable animal, particularly when you compare the size of a cat to a human, and said the incident was “severe in terms of grabbing the animal and throwing it in the air.”
Inspector Manager Kylie Green said there was no place in society for such brutish behaviour.
‘Thankfully most people can see that acts such as this are downright cruel and there’s nothing clever or funny about them,’ she said.
‘This would have been a terrifying ordeal for Blossom and distressing for her owners to see.
‘I’m glad they have all received some justice with this decision today.’
The offender was convicted under section 19(1) and 19(2)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002. He was found to have been cruel to an animal in that he ill-treated the cat. He was afforded a spent conviction.
The maximum penalty 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
