A 59-year-old Ellenbrook is due to face Midland Magistrates Court on 6 January on a charge of animal cruelty.
In January 2023, RSPCA WA received a cruelty report in relation to a cat with a bleeding tumour on her lip and a suspected tumour on her neck.
The accused told an RSPCA WA inspector that the cat hadn’t been seen by a vet and didn’t need to be.
The inspector noted the cat was underweight, lethargic and unsteady on her feet; had a large red lump on the side of her mouth; had a larger growth under her chin; and had blood that had rubbed off her tumour onto her fur on her front leg.
The accused admitted the cat had lost a lot of weight in the past two weeks but claimed she ate every day.
The woman was argumentative with the inspector and insisted the cat was ‘fine. She’s nearly dead. She’s at the end of her life. I’m letting her live her life’; and that ‘I want her to die natural (sic)’.
The accused surrendered the cat to RSPCA WA. A vet examination revealed the cat was severely dehydrated, had a tumour on her lip and a large, infected abscess near her throat containing a large quantity of puss.
The vet noted the cat was in chronic pain and her overall poor condition indicated she had suffered for a long period of time.
The cat was humanely euthanised. Postmortem results showed the large mass was cancerous.
The accused has been charged under sections 19(1) and 19(3)(h) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002.
RSPCA WA will allege the cat suffered harm which could have been alleviated by the accused taking reasonable steps.
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
