A Canterbury man has been banned for owning dogs for three years, fined and sentenced to community work, after bashing his pet dog with a wooden plank.
Bolo the bull mastiff suffered bruising, internal injuries and significant distress in the attack, the SPCA says.
Murray Johnson admitted he had "lost it" with the dog after Bolo escaped and was trying to fight another dog, and admitted to hitting his pet twice in September last year.
A witness saw him hitting the dog with a wooden plank with significant force, as the dog yelped in pain.
The SPCA says Bolo suffered injuries to his face, shoulders, around his kidneys and muscle damage.
Today Johnson pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court and was sentenced to 150 hours community work, a $1500 fine and banned from owning dogs for three years.
"When an animal is displaying signs of unwanted behaviour, physical punishment is not the answer," SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen says.
"Instead, an owner should train their dog to respond to positive reinforcement of good behaviours, use lots of praise and have patience with their animal."
Bolo was surrendered to the SPCA and is now being adopted out, the rescue group says.
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