Man fined after throwing rock at elderly dog, breaking its skull

The dog (not pictured) was so badly injured it had to be put down. Photo / 123 RF

A man has been banned from owning animals for five years after he threw a rock at a dog's head, severely injuring it.

The SPCA said the Waikanae man was disturbed by an elderly fox terrier-cross dog triggering the outside sensor lights on his property In the early hours of September 11.

After realising the dog was getting into his rubbish bags, he went outside, found a large rock, followed the dog to the front of the property and threw it at it with force, hitting the dog directly on its head and disabling it.

The dog sustained multiple fractures to its skull and extensive bleeding. The man contacted authorities and the dog was taken to an after-hours vet clinic where, because of the extent of the injuries and its pain and suffering, the dog had to be put down.

Wellington SPCA senior inspector Peter McCallum, who investigated the case, said that it had been distressing for all involved, especially the owner of the dog who had been devastated.

The man was also upset over his actions. He knew the partially blind and deaf dog, which came from a nearby property.

In court, the man was found guilty of recklessly ill-treating an animal and sentenced to nine months' supervision, fined $800, ordered to pay $829 in costs and disqualified from owning an animal for five years. He was also ordered to complete an anger management course.

"Wellington SPCA is pleased with the sentence, which not only recognises the seriousness of the offence and the distress that it caused, but has also recognised the anger management issues of the offender, offering a method to address those issues to prevent similar offending on the future," said McCallum.