A 40-year-old Boulder woman has been fined $3,000 and banned from being in charge of an animal for five years for allowing her daughter's dog to become severely emaciated and suffer prolonged neglect.
The offender pleaded guilty in the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court today to failing to provide proper and sufficient food to the female Staffy crossbreed named White Chest.
The court heard an RSPCA WA inspector attended the woman's Boulder home in May 2024 following a cruelty report about an underweight dog. The inspector found White Chest in the backyard with three four-week-old puppies. She was severely emaciated, with the outline of her ribs, hips and spine visibly prominent. The inspector noted there was no food available for White Chest.
The offender told the inspector that White Chest had not been eating much and there was no dog food in the house. She said the dog belonged to her daughter but had been at the Boulder property for two months – the offender stated that she was responsible for the dog and later admitted she had only given her one meal in the previous week.
White Chest was surrendered along with her puppies and taken for urgent veterinary assessment before being transferred to RSPCA WA in Perth for ongoing treatment.
A vet examination found White Chest was extremely emaciated, with a body condition score of 1/9 (one being the lowest score indicating severe emaciation, and nine being the highest score indicating obesity), and severely dehydrated. She weighed just 11.6kg. Following a managed feeding program, White Chest gained 7kg in just six weeks — a 60 per cent increase in body weight.
RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said White Chest's recovery demonstrated just how deprived she had been.
"Dogs do not become this emaciated overnight," Ms Green said. "This was a dog who was not only starving but caring for young puppies at the same time — placing even greater demands on her already depleted body. People who are struggling to care for pets must reach out for help. Allowing an animal to deteriorate to this extent is unacceptable."
A conviction of animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act 2002 carries a maximum sentence of a $50,000 fine and five years' imprisonment.
Anyone who suspects animal cruelty should report it to RSPCA WA's cruelty hotline on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 3589) or via rspcawa.org.au.
