Two Auckland women have been sentenced following the "undeserved and horrific" death of their dog due to starvation and hypothermia.
In July 2024, SPCA inspectors visited the pair's property following concerns about the welfare of dogs on site.
During the inspection, a white mixed-breed dog named Princess was found tethered to a fence, with only a table for shelter and an empty water bowl, the SPCA said.
One of the women told inspectors that Princess hadn’t been eating properly for the past few weeks. Inspectors provided advice on how to improve her condition before returning the following day with a kennel and blankets.
When inspectors returned for a re-inspection days later, they discovered Princess dead in the same place. Beside her were two empty bowls and an accumulation of faeces, the SPCA said. She was tethered on a 1.5m chain with inadequate shelter. The kennel and blankets provided by the SPCA were out of reach behind her.
A veterinary examination revealed that Princess was extremely emaciated, and had no discernible body fat and an obvious loss of muscle mass, particularly around her face. She also suffered from pressure sores, fly bitten ears, and faecal staining around her hindquarters.
A post-mortem confirmed that Princess died from starvation and hypothermia. She would have been in severe distress and pain beforehand, the SPCA said, and should have received veterinary treatment.
One of the women claimed they had been away from the house "quite a lot" and had asked other members of the household to feed Princess, and that the dog "wasn’t too bad" two days before her death. When told the cause of death, the woman admitted "she should have paid more attention".
The pair were sentenced today to respective periods of 150 and 200 hours of community work after being charged with ill-treatment of an animal.
They were also disqualified from owning or exercising authority over a dog for five years and ordered to make reparation payments of $452.71 each.
'Entirely preventable'
"Princess’s last moments were undeserved and horrific," SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said.
"This case is a heart-breaking reminder of the consequences of neglect. Princess’s suffering was entirely preventable."
He urged all pet owners to "understand the responsibility they take on when they bring an animal into their lives".
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