Auckland woman sentenced after leaving dog lying in own excrement

An Auckland woman has been prosecuted by the SPCA after leaving her German Shepherd suffering in pain and unable to move for so long it had to be euthanised.

The woman, charged with the ill-treatment of the animal, was sentenced to 150 hours community work – and disqualified from owning dogs for a period of five years, at North Shore District Court.

She was also ordered to pay to SPCA reparations of $1,500.00 and $500.00 towards legal costs.

The vet established the dog was unable to use her hind legs, lost control of her bowel movements and had blood-stained urine.

Both dog’s ear canals were seriously inflamed, indicating a longer-term disease. Both ears were wet, and when the vet tried to touch them, the dog reportedly yelped.

“Sadly, the dog was in so much pain, euthanasia was the only solution to end her suffering,” said the SPCA.

When questioned, the owner said the dog had become “unstable” near the end of 2018, and had been unable to walk since the beginning of 2019, and just spent time “lying there” in the corner of the office.

She said they had taken the dog to a vet around two years earlier for ear issues, and that surgery had been performed. But ongoing problems continued to occur. The vet had then quoted $3000 for treatment and the defendant didn’t undertake the required surgery.

A necropsy, which was carried out by a Veterinary Pathologist, suggested that the loss of hind quarter mobility, anal and bladder tone were probably due to a degenerative chronic condition which has a very slow onset over a period of months to years. The pathologist also commented that the ear disease would have caused marked pain and suffering over a period of weeks to months and would have been obvious to anyone.

SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said there is no excuse for failing to seek treatment for a sick animal.

“Pets are like family to most New Zealanders and it’s unthinkable that someone would leave their dog in such a poor state for such a long period of time, when they were clearly in considerable pain.”

“It’s heartbreaking to think of what this animal suffered for months on end – even years – while her owner failed her. It’s also incredibly distressing for our Inspectors and vet staff who discover shocking situations like this.

“What this case shows is that not everyone can be a responsible pet owner. Animals should be companions only when a person has the knowledge, ability, and means to provide them with a good life – where they experience positive welfare and their physical, health and behavioural needs are met.”