A 23-year-old woman will face the Armadale Magistrates Court next month, accused of strangling and hitting her one-year-old dog on several occasions on 13 October last year.
RSPCA WA will allege the accused pulled on a rope around the dog's neck with force on three or four occasions, lifting the dog off the ground and holding her there for several seconds before dropping her to the ground, resulting in the dog yelping, and making choking, gurgling and dry heaving noises.
It will further be alleged the accused hit the Staffy x Kelpie on seven occasions, causing the dog to squeal and yelp.
The dog was seized by RSPCA WA inspectors on the day of the alleged offence with subsequent vet examinations revealing bruising, swelling, bleeding in her right eye, and behaviour consistent with psychological harm.
The dog has since recovered and been adopted.
The accused has been charged under sections 19(1) and 19(2)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002. She has been accused of being cruel to the dog by torturing, maliciously beating, abusing and otherwise ill-treating her.
She will appear in the Armadale Magistrates Court on 20 March 2026.
The maximum penalty for a conviction 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 on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 358) or at rspcawa.org.au.
