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The owner of a dog left to starve under a house for five weeks has been formally stripped of ownership of the pet after one of the country's worst cases of animal cruelty.
Pauline Taki of Glen Innes admitted failing to provide her ridgeback-cross dog with adequate food and water and failing to protect it from disease. She appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday and will be sentenced in September.
SPCA inspectors found the dog last December, locked under her owner's house for at least five weeks without food or water.
Inspector Todd Neal said the case was one of blatant cruelty.
"This is the thinnest dog I have seen in my nine years with the Auckland SPCA," he said.
Because the dog was found so close to Christmas, SPCA staff named it Eve and immediately launched a public appeal.
Bob Kerridge, chief executive of the Auckland SPCA, said the conviction was a successful conclusion to a "shocking and sad" case, and he thanked the public for their support.
"The compassion shown by so many people to this poor animal was heart-warming.
"I am delighted that their faith in us has been rewarded with a successful conclusion, with the perpetrator of this ghastly act being brought to justice".
The hunt is now on for new owners for Eve.
"The SPCA will be very careful in its selection of a new home for Eve to ensure a full and happy life is ahead of her," Mr Kerridge said.
