Shocking list of shame for 2017
"The SPCA is here to stand up for any animal that is physically abused, abandoned, neglected, tortured and in pain ... we need all the support we can get."
SPCA chief executive
Andrea Midgen
Sully was found locked in a cold, dark garage – the spaniel-poodle cross had never been let outside or interacted with anyone other than his owner.
His severe mistreatment caused psychological trauma that led to severe anxiety and an inability to make eye contact with people.
He was also underweight and unable to move freely due to the poor condition of his coat.
The dog’s owner, who had previously been prosecuted by the SPCA and disqualified from owning animals, failed to appear on charges relating to Sully’s mistreatment and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.
Sully’s case appears on the SPCA’s list of shame which highlights the worst cases of animal cruelty in 2017.
‘‘We need the public’s support to end this shameful cruelty in New Zealand,’’ said SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen.
‘‘We receive almost no government funding to run the SPCA inspectorate, which costs approximately $9 million every year.’’
Thankfully after months of successful rehabilitation, Sully now lives happily with his new family at a home on Auckland’s North Shore with a big back yard.
However, it is not a happy ending for a lot of the animals found by the SPCA – the list includes a 5-year-old labrador starved to death, a duck with its beak blown up by a firecracker and a neglected horse, Frosty, left in pain with a deformed eye and engorged head injury.
Frosty had eye removal surgery but the stitches were left in his head, causing facial swelling obvious to see from a distance, and made his eating and breathing difficult.
Due to the extent of his injuries Frosty had to be euthanised on humane grounds. Frosty’s owner was prosecuted by the SPCA and was sentenced to 260 hours of community work, disqualified from owning horses for five years and fined more than $1400.
This year’s list contains shocking cases of neglect and cruelty, including 600 starving chickens, roosters, and ducks with severe feather loss found in an overcrowded environment trying to feed on the decomposing birds around them.
Another case was a dog hit by a car, with de-gloving injuries to the bone on both hind legs, left by its owner to suffer with no veterinary treatment.
‘‘We know this list is very upsetting but this is the reality of what our inspectors see in their jobs.
‘‘These horrific cases of neglect and violence towards animals reinforce the vital need for the SPCA’s work,’’ said Midgen.
‘‘The SPCA is here to stand up for any animal that is physically abused, abandoned, neglected, tortured and in pain.
‘‘It is a very big job and we need all the support we can get.’’
Donations for this year’s SPCA appeal can be made to street collectors around the country or online at spcaannualappeal.org.nz.