KEY POINTS:
A 17-year-old has been arrested after a pig was tortured with a blowtorch, suffering burns to half her body.
The 250kg chopper sow, worth about $200, had to be put down after being found on July 8 with burns to almost the entire back half of her body.
Bread was found in the sow's pen, indicating that those responsible had lured her before torturing her. The attackers had to scale a fence to get to the pen.
Rivernook Piggery manager Al Humphreys said today staff would be delighted at the youth's arrest.
"Half of her body was burnt. The lady who found her had to have the next day off because she was so upset," he said.
Blenheim police arrested the 17-year-old yesterday and charged him with cruelty to an animal. He is to appear in Blenheim District Court on September 11.
A Blenheim police spokeswoman said the youth had been spoken to earlier, but had denied any involvement.
His arrest was the result of police receiving further information about the incident.
- NZPA
