Abused dog thriving with new family
At 4 months old, Spencer, a doberman/bloodhound-cross, had his tail illegally docked.
It left his tail bone exposed and he was in constant pain.
But after being rescued and adopted, Spencer is doing really well, his new owner says.
His case is one of 12 incidents of animal abuse included in the SPCA’s list of shame for 2020. The list showcases the worst incidents of abuse and neglect throughout the country over the past 12 months.
Spencer’s previous owner was prosecuted by the organisation for docking his tail. In May, they were disqualified from owning animals and sentenced to community work.
Because of the pain that Spencer endured, a veterinary behaviourist told the SPCA he showed behaviours of ‘‘learned helplessness’’ after being in prolonged pain from which he couldn’t escape. He also showed fearfulness and a lack of confidence.
Now, after nearly two years with his new family, Spencer still shows signs of fear but is otherwise thriving. Stephanie Branch and her two daughters adopted him during Easter of 2018.
She had gone to the SPCA in South Auckland’s Ma¯ngere with friends who were looking for a dog. She had no intention of getting a new pet as she already had a staffycross, Penny, at home.
But she couldn’t help herself after meeting Spencer and being told he had been mistreated. ‘‘I just felt really sad for him and he looked so scared.
‘‘He wasn’t one of those ones barking, he wasn’t up at the window. He was just standing at the back watching, almost a bit fearful.’’
When they got him to their home in Cockle Bay, East Auckland,
Stephanie Branch
he was scared of everything, Branch said.
‘‘When he first saw my reflection in the mirror, he went running. Under the bed was his safe place.’’
Nowadays, new things still spook him but a lot of patience has helped Branch make Spencer feel safe.
She knew his previous life had been bad but was shocked to find he had made the list of the 12 worst cases of animal abuse. ‘‘He’s just a real sweet boy.’’
SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen said this year’s list was just as shocking as previous years.
It also included a puppy that was beaten while witnesses stood by, a dog that was blinded from being thrown against a wall, an animal hoarder who kept 32 cats in squalid conditions, and a starved horse that was close to death.
The list of shame has been released ahead of SPCA’s annual appeal from March 2 to 8.
‘‘When he first saw my reflection in the mirror, he went running.’’