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A woman charged with leaving her 11-month-old puppy to starve is still on the run, three weeks after failing to turn up for her sentencing.
Paulette Taki, 40, was due to be sentenced at Auckland District Court on September 29 on three animal cruelty charges after SPCA officers found a dog locked underneath a house on Christmas Eve.
A warrant for Taki's arrest was issued when she didn't turn up at court, the fourth occasion she had failed to attend a scheduled court appearance.
SPCA general manager David Lloyd-Barker said police hadn't been able to find her since.
Mr Lloyd-Barker said he believed it was likely Taki would spend some time in jail for the offence and she was trying to escape it.
Constable Emma Lawrence of Auckland Police said inquiries both in and out of Auckland had failed to find any trace of her.
Taki faces charges including failing to provide the dog, known as Eve, with protection from significant injury and disease.
Eve reportedly looked like a carcass when found and apparently survived by eating her own faeces at the home in Glen Innes, a suburb 10km east of downtown Auckland.
Eve was put in a new home earlier this year and SPCA inspectors said she was reportedly doing well.
- NZPA
