Man on charges for dog bashing
AN INNISFAIL man’s actions have be labelled “totally unacceptable” by the RSPCA after he allegedly used a sledgehammer to strike a neighbour’s dog on the head.
At 10am yesterday, a dog entered the yard of an Oak Street property at Goondi Bend and twice attacked a dog at the address.
It will be alleged the 25year-old Goondi Bend man then hit the dog, which was seriously injured.
The injured dog was located by animal control officers.
It’s believed they transported the pet to Coral Coast Veterinary Services for urgent medical care.
The dog underwent surgery and remains in a serious but stable condition.
The man is scheduled to appear in the Innisfail Magistrates Court on November 27, charged with serious animal cruelty.
An RSCPA spokesman said the case was a police matter and the charge laid carried a maximum penalty of seven years under the criminal code.
He said at this stage the RSCPA was not involved in the investigation, but would assist police if requested.
“It’s totally unacceptable,” the spokesman said.
“With premeditated cruelty, such as this appears to be, the links between animal cruelty and severe violence toward humans down the track has been proven in different studies throughout the western world.”
The recent incident is the second suspected case of serious animal cruelty in the area in two months.
A 62-year-old Goondi Bend man was charged on September 9, after allegedly trapping a neighbour’s cat before then dousing it in petrol and setting it alight.