A 41-year-old Heathridge woman has been convicted of animal cruelty after abusing and ill-treating a six-month-old puppy outside a café in August last year.
She has been fined $5,000, banned from being in charge of an animal for five years, and ordered to pay $2,434.39 in legal and reimbursement costs.
Witnesses at the Ryan John Café in Heathridge reported the incident, which happened at around 10am on 25 August, to RSPCA WA.
The offender started screaming obscenities, including "you stupid f*cking mutt", at Prince when he failed to follow her. She then grabbed Prince's tail and lifted him off the ground to hip-height. Café staff and patrons began yelling at the offender to let him go – she then dropped Prince onto the brick pavement. He landed on his neck and stayed on the ground for around two minutes as the offender stood over him in an intimidating manner. Prince stayed on his back, cowering and holding his paws up to his face.
The offender then grabbed Prince by three of his legs and again lifted him to hip-height, causing him to yelp in pain, before dropping him onto the brick paving a second time. She tried to pick Prince up, but he was reacting with fear, kicking and trying to bite her hand. The offender then flung Prince under her arm and walked towards a near-by home.
RSPCA WA inspectors attend the offender's home where they say Prince was showing distress and appeared very scared. He had his tail tucked and urinated on himself. He was seized due to suspected offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2002. Subsequent vet examinations revealed symptoms consistent with trauma including pain in multiple areas and elevated enzyme levels consistent with muscle injury.
Prince continues to recover in foster care.
In sentencing, Magistrate Evan Shackleton described the offending as "clearly deliberate". "The vulnerability of this animal is high – in particular the offender was someone the dog was known to and thus less likely to run away from."
RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said she was alarmed by the number of deliberate cruelty cases her inspectors had dealt with recently.
"There has been sharp increase in the number of beatings and other abuse reported to us, most of them involving puppies," she said. "Animals are living, feeling beings who don't always behave how you want them to, especially when they're young and have not been exposed to positive and effective training. To see a growing number of offences where people respond to perceived 'bad behaviour' with violence is reprehensible."
The offender was sentenced under sections 19(1) and 19(2)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002. She becomes the fifth person to be prosecuted by RSPCA WA for dog and puppy beatings since December 2024 (see below) with another five cases currently before the courts.
Members of the public who witness or suspect animal cruelty are urged to report it on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 358) or online at rspcawa.org.au.
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