Dog abuser avoids prison

A man who tied his dog's legs and mouth with electrical tape - leading to the dog's tongue decaying - has been punished for his actions.

Fukahetau Togafana, of West Harbour in West Auckland, appeared in the Waitakere District Court yesterday and was sentenced to 250 hours of community work.

He is also to pay $603.75 costs and is disqualified from owning a dog for the next five years.

Judge Philip Recordon told Togafana that prison was not unusual for a case such as his.

In December last year, the Animal Welfare group received complaints about a dog spotted in a Waitakere street with all four legs tied together.

When an officer arrived at Togafana's home, he found a dog with its legs bound together with rope and its mouth tied shut with electrical tape.

Because the tape was tied so tightly - and had been so for weeks - it had become embedded into the dog's lips, nose and facial tissue, causing decay.

Togafana later admitted he had tied his dog up in that way to stop him from barking and ripping rubbish bags.

In January, the Herald reported the dog - given the name Bobby - was making a swift recovery.

However, although Bobby was placed with a new family and given treatment, he had suffered great trauma and later had to be put down.