Enraged flatmate beats poodle

Fifi still suffers from injuries inflicted by Carolyn Warburton’s former flatmate. Picture / Brett Phibbs

A Browns Bay builder caused multiple fractures to his flatmate's poodle and rubbed its nose in faeces - then he wrote about it in his diary.

James Harnett, 20, described his violence to the dog in a May 21 diary entry saying: "Came home and stood in one of the poodle's * * * * *, lost the plot and broke its hip, knee and two back feet.

"* * * * * * * good job, I say.

"Gotta move out and pay $1500 vet bills."

The case is highlighted in the official SPCA magazine out this week.

The magazine describes how in May this year, the dog's owner, Carolyn Warburton, came home to find her white poodle, Fifi, bleeding from an eye and unable to walk.

She woke Harnett, who told her that when he came home, he had stood in dog faeces, so he rubbed Fifi's nose in it and threw her on the bed.

A vet examined the dog and found that it had severe bruising and bleeding to the right eye, plus a fractured left leg, pelvis and a rib.

The vet had said the injuries were severe and consistent with direct blunt force. They were unlikely to have been caused by the single action of being thrown on the bed.

SPCA officers obtained a search warrant to seize the man's diary and found it under his bed.

As a result, Harnett was convicted in the North Shore District Court of being a person who ill-treats animals, causing the animal to suffer pain or distress that is unreasonable or unnecessary.

In September, he was ordered to pay more than $4000 in fines and reparation.

Ms Warburton said yesterday that the attack on the 2-year-old dog had destroyed Fifi's confidence.

She was still suffering from the injuries.

Ms Warburton said Harnett was a dog-owner himself.

He had moved out of the flat soon after assaulting her dog.

"It broke my heart and still does," she said.

"I still feel angry about it, but I have to just let it go."