Four people have been convicted of animal cruelty after two separate cases were heard in the Midland Magistrates Court on Monday.
That brings the total number of people sentenced following prosecution for neglecting their dogs to nine in the past week alone.
In the first of Monday’s cases, the RSPCA responded to a cruelty report in September last year about two dogs living at a unit in Guildford.
The inspector found one of the dogs, a two-year-old American Bulldog-cross named Buddy, to be emaciated with his hips, ribs, and spine prominent, and his face sunken. Buddy also had lots of hairless patches on his body, chunks of peeling skin and a bleeding sore on his tail.
The second dog in the yard was a medium-sized black female mixed-breed puppy in reasonable body condition, named Boondi.
The RSPCA WA inspector described the yard as full of rubbish and faeces and completely overgrown. There was no water for the dogs. The inspector seized both dogs and took them for vet checks and treatment.
The dogs’ owner told the RSPCA he had been unemployed and going through a rough patch and therefore struggling to feed Buddy the amount he should have.
The 27-year-old male owner and his 23-year-old female partner, who also lived at the address, were each banned from owning animals for three years and each ordered to pay $839.60 in compensation to the RSPCA and $259.30 in court costs.
The male offender was fined a total of $7000; the female offender was fined $4000.
Buddy and Boondi have each been living with an RSPCA foster carer. Buddy has fully recovered and Boondi is doing very well.
In the second of Monday’s cases, RSPCA WA received a call from City of Swan rangers in January last year about a Mastiff dog who had been collected as a stray.
Kuda, aged around 15 years, was severely emaciated. The rangers had taken him to a Midland vet for treatment. He was extremely thin, with ribs, hips, and spine protruding.
After five days, Kuda was released from the vet and taken to boarding kennels used by the City of Swan for strays.
RSPCA WA investigations revealed the name and address of Kuda’s owner who told the inspector that he was planning to have the dog put down but then he escaped from the yard. When asked why Kuda was in such poor condition, the owner expressed regret at not having dealt with the dog’s deteriorating health sooner by having him euthanised.
When asked why he didn’t collect Kuda from the vet or the kennels the owner said he was hoping Kuda would be put down by authorities, so he didn’t have to do it.
The 37-year-old-man and a 36-year-old woman who lived at the same Midland address were each fined $2500, banned from owning animals for three years and ordered to pay costs of $163.30.
Kuda has since been euthanised.
RSPCA WA Inspector Manager, Kylie Green, said she was frustrated with the current never-ending parade of neglected dogs.
‘In the past week alone, nine people have been sentenced following prosecution for not feeding their dogs enough and not getting their elderly dogs the care they need’, Kylie said.
‘The owners are looking at these dogs day after day—how they can ignore their deteriorating conditions I’ll never understand.
‘Please, if you can’t care for your animals properly, reach out before they start to suffer.’
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 online here.
