KEY POINTS:
The SPCA has released its sixth list of shame outlining a year of cruelty to animals, showing people's continued inhumanity to pets and livestock.
The list detailed 50 cases of callous behaviour, with many of the incidents involving young people, chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said.
Many of the animals listed had been successfully rehabilitated and the perpetrators identified and prosecuted, she said.
A number of the animals had been hurt by slug gun pellets and other projectiles, and there were signs that children were being allowed to use animals for target practice.
Cases of neglect included an Auckland dog discovered on Christmas Eve after surviving without food or water for at least five weeks, and an elderly dog, its testicles ruptured by cancer, abandoned in a picnic area near Whakatane.
