A Huntly man accused of docking a dog's tail illegally has been prosecuted after it suffered a painful injury as a result.
William Brown was sentenced for 150 hours' community work at the Huntly District Court, disqualified from owning animals indefinitely and ordered to pay the SPCA $954.51.
60% of 'Thimble’s' tail was amputated, exposing bone, muscle and tendon protruding from the skin, which had a clearly visible line.
SPCA CEO Andrea Midgen says, “This line was consistent with an injury caused by ligation of the tail, with or without an extra cutting trauma.”
“Thimble flinched when his tail was handled and he also showed signs of ‘learned helplessness’, which is seen in animals who have learnt they cannot escape from painful situations.”
Brown pleaded guilty on the basis that performing a surgical procedure on an animal and failing to ensure that the animal receives treatment for any discomfort was unreasonable and unnecessary.
A Waikato District Animal Control Officer found Thimble, a four-month Doberman puppy roaming the streets when the case began in May 2017.
“His injury caused pain and suffering at the time as well as beyond the initial injury. The damage to his skin, muscle, and nerves was painful and long-lasting, especially with the complicating infection and repeated trauma to the exposed wound.”
Thankfully, Thimble was adopted after "extensive care" by the SPCA’s Canine Team.