KEY POINTS:
An animal killer has been jailed because someone was watching when he threw a dog and six puppies off a remote Northland river bridge on December 14 last year.
Lance Crequer, 50, was sentenced to four months imprisonment in Manukau District Court after pleading guilty to wilful ill-treatment of the animals, the SPCA said today.
The Kaikohe resident, now living in Manurewa, was disqualified from owning animals for five years.
The court heard that three of the five-week old puppies were swept to their death over a 20m high waterfall.
Two other puppies were put down later but the surviving puppy and mother were now doing well.
Judge Anna Johnson said that after deciding to "get rid" of his dogs, Crequer had driven to a remote area, parked his vehicle in middle of the bridge, and threw all the dogs into the water,
She accepted the submissions from the SPCA that the act was deliberate and premeditated.
"Unfortunately for you, you were seen by a pregnant woman who was so distressed by what she saw that she went for help."
Judge Johnson said Crequer was not a suitable candidate for home detention.
The witness observed the animals swimming for their lives in the Mangatoa stream, which was swiftly flowing from recent rain and called neighbours and her husband to help.
The mother and surviving pup managed to get out of the water and hide in nearby bush and were found a day later.
- NZPA
