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A litter of puppies and a kitten found pickled in jars in a Dunedin flat, a dog hanged from a gum tree in South Auckland, and eight puppies beaten to death with a tyre brace by a Southland man.
These are just some of the chilling examples of 50 animal abuse cases recorded in the SPCA's annual List of Shame released yesterday.
Other victims included a Whangarei dog so emaciated it was described by an SPCA inspector as "barely recognisable as a dog", and a Rotorua cat discovered with no ears and a face half rotted away by cancer.
The List of Shame, which is in its fifth year, covers some examples of the worst abuse that occurred during the first nine months of this year, as well as a representative sample of incidents investigated by the SPCA. The list has been released ahead of the SPCA's Paws Appeal week, which begins on Friday. SPCA national chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said this year's list made for particularly gruesome reading.
"There is an undeniable link between abuse of animals and abusive behaviour towards people. I believe the stabbings, shootings, poisonings and other cruelties listed are reflective of the appallingly high and escalating rate of violence in New Zealand society," she said. "Cruel and callous behaviour on the part of children and teenagers is particularly disturbing because of the warning it gives about the future. We have to do more to educate our young people about the importance of kindness and responsibility to both animals and humans."
Abuse by children included four Lower Hutt youngsters who repeatedly threw two kittens into a swimming pool and a group of Blenheim youths who poured petrol over the back half of a pig and set it on fire.
"The many cases of extreme neglect included on the List of Shame are also chilling. It's hard to comprehend how people can see an animal suffering every day and do nothing about it for months or even years. Again, this seems to be a reflection of generally inhumane attitudes in our society."
Dog show judge David Balfour, 58, and his wife Daryl Kirsty Reid Balfour, 47, are to face trial on animal cruelty charges relating to the more than 200 cats and dogs found on the property near Dannevirke. It is the biggest case regarding companion animals ever brought by the SPCA. The couple have pleaded not guilty.
* For more information on Paws Appeal week go to www.rnzspca.org.nz
