Our animal welfare shame
BEATINGS AND NEGLECT – THE SHOCKING ANIMAL CRUELTY CASES
THE stark reality of North Queensland’s animal cruelty crisis has been revealed, with more than 1000 offences recorded and numbers increasing in half of our suburbs.
The RSPCA recorded 1026 animal cruelty complaints in the Townsville area in 2021, and while it was a slight decrease from the previous year (1083), eight suburbs only became worse.
RSPCA spokeswoman Emma Lagoon said the biggest concerns for Townsville were animal neglect.
“While deliberate animal cruelty and abuse towards animals does occur, these cases are thankfully far less than general animal neglect and welfare complaints,” Ms Lagoon said.
“Commonly our inspectors investigate welfare concerns in the region that relate to animals being in poor condition, animals without appropriate food or water, animals living in inappropriate conditions, and animals that have been left tethered.”
According to the statistics, Kirwan recorded the highest number of animal cruelty offences with 74 in 2021.
The numbers were down from the previous year, where 99 offences were recorded.
Closely following Kirwan is Kelso, which recorded 72 animal cruelty offences last year compared to 85 on the previous year.
Ms Lagoon said there was an obvious trend with offending.
“Animal welfare complaints we receive in the area relate to dogs, cats, puppies and horses.
“Some suburb complaints have increased while others have decreased from the previous year.”
Rasmussen (56), Garbutt (44), Wulguru (41), Mount Louisa (34), Deeragun (30), Ingham (30), Railway Estate (26) and Townsville (22) all recorded increases in offences compared to the previous year.
Ms Lagoon said there were some major hurdles in tackling animal cruelty.
“Animal welfare issues can come about due to a range of factors. Pet owners may be lacking basic pet care knowledge on how to keep their pets happy and healthy, which can lead to unexpected medical costs and welfare issues.
“In other cases, some people have a complete lack of empathy which can lead to cruelty and neglect.”
The region has seen its fair share of animal cruelty over the past couple of years. Here are some of the biggest cases.
WOMAN CONVICTED AFTER BEATING DOG WITH METAL POLE
A shocking video of a woman beating a helpless dog with a metal stand helped secure a conviction in an animal cruelty case.
The shaky footage which was played in the Townsville Magistrates Court in January, 2021, shows a Kelso woman repeatedly hit the tightly tethered dog around its head.
Distressed, the animal yelps and snaps at its attacker but the barrage continues.
Patrice Louise Moukas, 32, pleaded guilty to one charge of animal cruelty and was handed six month prison sentence, wholly suspended for an operational period of 2 years.
The matter was reported to the RSPCA on December 12, 2020, when a person reported they witnessed a tan Rhodesian ridgeback, Phoenix, beaten the night prior and also in the instance captured on video.
Magistrate Smid described the video evidence as a difficult watch after it was tendered as evidence.
The incident left Phoenix “very scared” and “timid” with swelling, puncture wounds and blood noted during a vet examination. A statement of facts tendered to the court said Moukas often beat the dog while her de facto partner was not home and that another dog died at the property just three months prior.
A statement provided by the RSPCA said that in court Moukas claimed to have hit the dog after it bit the hand of her partner’s father and that the dogs were laughing at her.
Her substance abuse issues and mental health problems were detailed in the evidence submitted to the court and it was noted that RSPCA investigators were unable to speak with her as each time they visited the home her partner noted she was unavailable to talk due to her mental health and her being affected by drugs.
In his sentencing remarks, the RSPCA said Magistrate Smid described Moukas’ conduct toward the helpless animal as sickening.
Moukas was prohibited from owning animals for the rest of her life, except those approved in writing by the RSPCA and fined more than $2000 to cover legal proceedings and other costs.
Phoenix was taken into care at Townsville pound shortly after the incident where staff noted her aggressive behaviour towards female staff.
She was surrendered into the RSPCA’S care and was rehomed
after rehabilitative care and training.
DOG EUTHANISED AFTER CRIPPLING EYE CONDITION
A woman previously banned from owning animals for 10 years had to have one of her dogs euthanised, and didn’t notice her malnourished horse has been seized.
Angel Knight pleaded guilty to two counts of breach duty of car to animal, among other charges, on June 10 this year.
Appearing on behalf of the RSPCA, lawyer Zoe Navarro told the court that the animals had an eye condition, which she said would have been an obvious ailment, yet had remained untreated by Knight.
The court heard that all of Knight’s animals had survived except for one dog, a shar pei, which
had to be euthanised. It was heard that while Knight had permission to possess some of the animals, she had contravened her 10-year prohibition order by keeping two axolotls.
Ms Navarro said the amphibious animals had been kept in a tank with water that was “too hot”.
Ms Navarro said Knight’s crime had now exceeded a fine because of her previous conviction.
Knight’s lawyer Andrew Maxwell said the horse had belonged to her ex-partner who was unable to care for the animal.
It was heard Knight had “significant psychological issues” including depression and anxiety, and had a “debilitating” back and hip condition.
Mr Maxwell said that despite the photos showing the malnourished horse, Knight had been feeding and
tending to the animal’s needs – even though she had been “incapacitated”.
Magistrate Ross Mack said there had been no grass in the paddock where the horse had been kept, and later dismissed the claim that Knight had been told by a vet in Victoria that she could keep axolotls at 22 to 25 degrees.
Taking into account her personal circumstances, Mr Mack said it was not the animals’ fault that she lacked the ability to look after them.
She was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and pay a range of costs totalling at $3927.
Convictions were recorded.
BUILDING COMPANY OWNERS FINED FOR NEGLECTING DOGS
The owners of a North Queensland building company have been fined thousands of dollars for neglecting more than a dozen dogs they used for breeding.
Simon Griggs, 50, and Joanne Griggs, 46, pleaded guilty at Ayr Magistrates Court in December, 2021, to failing to provide treatment to 16 Cavalier King Charles spaniel dogs in their care in June, 2020.
Court documents stated that RSPCA received an initial complaint about the welfare of animals at the couple’s Giru property in 2019.
An inspector travelled to the property at the end of 2019, and again in February last year where Griggs refused to let them see the animals, according to court documents.
In June last year, the RSPCA obtained a warrant and found the dogs closely confined in a row of concrete pens, with two or three dogs to each pen.
The RSPCA alleged the floor of the pens were unclean with build-up of faeces and urine, and the dogs did not have access to bedding.
According to courts documents, the couple declined to answer any questions at the search, and all the dogs were eventually seized.
The dogs were examined by vets, who determined majority of the dogs had dental issues, anxiety and were in extremely poor condition.
Photographs submitted to the court show their fur matted, overgrown, and shows one dog with what appears to be an eye infection as they sit on a steel table at a veterinary clinic.
The pair own building company Tribute Homes, which is described as “Queensland’s most trusted traditional home builder” on its Facebook page.
The couple plead guilty to five counts of breaching the Animal Care and Protection Act and failing to provide treatment to all 16 dogs.
They were fined $5000 each and banned from owning dogs for five years.
They were also ordered to pay $10,000 in vet and boarding kennel costs, and legal costs.
No convictions were recorded on either.
All 16 dogs have now been adopted into new homes.
STARVING DOG FOUND LIVING IN SQUALID CONDITIONS
A neglectful dog owner will pay a hefty price for starving her animal while keeping it on a tangled leash, surrounded by faeces on the back veranda.
A court heard on December 7, 2019 the RSPCA received information that an emaciated bluemerle coloured female Louisiana Catahoula Leopard type dog named Bandit was found living in squalid conditions at the back of a Cranbrook property.
Upon attending the property, inspectors were told by its owner, mother-of-six Jay Leanne Watson, 37, that Bandit was getting fed but was skinny because she was “depressed”.
The RSPCA said it appeared that, “Bandit had been tethered on the concrete for an extended period of time. She was unable to display normal patterns of behaviour or move freely”.
“The area surrounding Bandit’s tether was covered in faeces which appeared to have built up over an extended period of time, as some pieces had begun to grow mould,” the RSCPA said.
“There was water available for Bandit in a cooking pot, however this was covered in black mould.”
Watson surrendered Bandit to the RSPCA.
A vet who inspected Bandit found her to be highly emaciated, with poor coat and nail condition, mild dental disease, a bilateral ear infection, a mild fever, with “engorged ticks found feeding”.
Weighing 25.9kg at intake, the RSPCA set about feeding Bandit up, increasing her body weight by 35 per cent (9.1kg) to 35kg a month later.
Watson was charged with breaching the Animal Care Protection Act 2001 in failing to feed, living conditions, normal patterns of behaviour and fail to treat.
She failed to appear in Townsville Magistrates Court when the matter was heard last year.
Magistrate Kenneth Taylor proceeded with the matter ex parte, convicting and fining Watson $2500 with 50 per cent payable to the RSPCA.
She was ordered to pay an additional $810.73 in costs and a threeyear prohibition order was made, commencing on June 14. No convictions were recorded.
If you have an animal welfare concern, report it directly to the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625) for emergencies or by using the form online all other concerns.