Carlingford woman convicted for repeatedly hitting, kicking pet Husky

A 21-year-old Carlingford woman was convicted and sentenced in Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday 3 July 2019, following pleas of guilty to four charges of committing an act of cruelty to her dog.

RSPCA NSW commenced an investigation after receiving footage of her repeatedly hitting and kicking her Siberian Husky, including swinging her tabby cat to hit the dog. This is the first time RSPCA NSW has seen another animal being used to commit an animal cruelty offence.

The woman was convicted and fined $600 for each offence, ordered to pay veterinary costs of $755.15, and banned from purchasing, acquiring, or taking possession or custody of any animal for five years, except for one cat.

RSPCA NSW received eight videos in total showing the woman abusing her dog over a period of two days. The footage captures her hitting the dog’s head and body with a collapsible metal chair, and kicking the dog 11 times as he cowers in the corner of the balcony. She is seen hitting him 20 times over a three-minute period with the plastic base of a cat litter tray, and kicking, stomping and standing on the Siberian Husky. Another shows her tending to her clothesline before returning to the dog one last time to kick him in the head.

On Saturday 23 March 2019, an RSPCA inspector attended the woman’s unit. She claimed she was punishing the dog for biting and destroying an expensive item.

Aware of only the offences committed against the dog, the inspector seized him.

After watching footage further supplied of the woman holding her tabby cat by his two front legs and swinging the cat back and forth to hit the dog five times, before letting the cat run back inside the unit, the inspector attempted to contact the woman again.

After multiple failed attempts to revisit the unit and examine the cat, the inspector obtained and executed a search warrant. He accessed the unit with the assistance of a locksmith. Once inside, he found the woman, who claimed to be at university, at home with her cat. She was cautioned, interviewed, and the cat seized.

The RSPCA veterinarian who examined the dog and the cat saw the eight videos supplied to the RSPCA and concluded that, in his professional opinion, each of the recorded incidents showed acts of cruelty were committed upon the dog, and, in the case of the last video, the cat.

“It is unreasonable to expect that relentless physical abuse would in any way train the dog to behave in a different manner. It’s very clear in the videos that this dog was living in absolute terror, confined to the balcony with nowhere to run and hide,” said RSPCA NSW Chief Inspector Scott Meyers.

RSPCA NSW reminds people that dogs are intelligent creatures who respond to positive, rewards-based training.

The Siberian Husky, now named Akiri, was discharged to RSPCA NSW’s rescue partner Husky Rescue WA and is being adopted by his foster family. The tabby cat, now named Henry, has since been adopted into a loving home.

Footage can be viewed here.

All charges brought under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

For more information, or an interview with a RSPCA NSW spokesperson, please contact:
Mobile:0488 905 353 | Email:media@rspcansw.org.au