Deputy Chief Magistrate convicted a person on five counts of animal cruelty, all of which he pleaded guilty to, after a complaint to the Animal cruelty Hotline in June 2018.
On 18 June 2019 RSPCA Tasmania received a complaint regarding a dog in poor condition.
The RSPCA Inspector observed the dog was tethered and appeared to be in very thin body condition, with open sores noted on legs and tail and an unretracted penis.
The Inspector seized the dog and left a seizure notice at the premises.
The Inspector transported Malaki to Kingston Animal Hospital where he was examined by a veterinarian and then transported to the RSPCA facility at Spreyton.
Sheffield Veterinary Clinic subsequently produced a report on Malaki which described observations of emaciation, traumatic wounds, paraphimosis, tail injury and skin disease.
The distal tip of the dog’s tail had bone protruding approximately 3mm from the ulcerated tip and there was obvious discomfort and pain when the tail tip was examined. The dog had skin injuries which were deemed to be painful and infected and also had granulating skin wounds on his left hock and right distal paw, as well as puncture wounds and moderate swelling on the left carpus. The distal tail segment was subsequently amputated and surgery was done to correct the penile condition. His body condition score was 2.5 out of 5 and his weight was 24.9kg.
The vet observed that in her professional opinion, Malaki’s malnourished state and skin / tail injuries would have been blatantly obvious to his carer(s) and also noted that Malaki’s carer should have sought help and advice if unsure of appropriate canine care and feeding. She said Malaki’s suffering could have been preventable through an adequate feeding regime, wound management and prevention.
On 12 September 2019 RSPCA Inspectors attended at the defendant’s address and spoke with the him. The defendant said under caution that Malaki had been in his care at 65 Rileys Creek Road, Geeveston since November 2018 and he had not sought veterinary advice regarding weight loss or any other issues with the dog.
On October 6th, in the Hobart Magistrates court, the person was convicted and fined $2500. He has been ordered to complete 84 hours of community service and had been disqualified from owning a dog for a period of 5 years.
