Jayke Hedley and Bianca Grenfell convicted of neglecting two huskies with one rescued ‘just in time’ and another dog found dead

The RSPCA has found severely malnourished Siberian huskies at an Adelaide home – sadly, it was too late for one.

A Siberian husky was found lying dead in the backyard of a Davoren Park home, but another fighting for life with severe malnutrition was saved.

Jayke Hedley, 26, and Bianca Grenfell, 25, were sentenced for their crimes on Friday after pleading guilty to two charges under the Animal Welfare Act of Ill Treatment of an Animal.

At the Elizabeth Magistrates Court Magistrate Ben Sale sentenced the couple to five months and 12 days home detention.

Mr Sale said that the pair had prior notification from the Animal Welfare League about an animal being under-fed in 2017.

“It must have been obvious for both of you that neither of the dogs were improving and both required urgent veterinary care,” Mr Sale said.

“One dog died in what I imagined must have been abject misery and pain, the other dog was saved from the intervention of the RSPCA it is this shameful behaviour on your part.”

Jayke Hedley, 26, and Bianca Grenfell, 25, were convicted of neglecting two huskies on Friday. Picture: File

An RSPCA SA inspector attended the home in June last year, after reports of cruelty at the address.

The inspector could not find the home’s occupants, and peered over the back fence to see a deceased husky, Jedi, and another, Sky, who was emaciated but alive.

Sky was immediately taken to a nearby vet for treatment.

She weighed 11.3kg and had a body condition score of 1/9, indicating extreme emaciation.

RSPCA SA’s Chief Vet Dr Brad Ward said Sky was rescued at the final hour, and estimated she had been starved for two to six weeks before she was found by the inspector.

Sky the Siberian husky when she was rescued by RSPCA SA. Picture: RSPCA SA

Sky was incredibly emaciated. Picture: RSPCA SA

Jedi’s body was examined by vets and it was found that when he died he also weighed 11kg.

A pathology report revealed that his empty intestinal tract showed that he had starved for a number of days.

She was put on a feeding program and eventually adopted to a new home. Picture: RSPCA SA

After two months with RSPCA SA, Sky nearly doubled in body weight to 22.3kg and found a new home in August last year.

Sky was saved in the nick of time. Picture: RSPCA SA

Magistrate Ben Sale described said the seriousness of the offence warranted an immediate prison term.

But he elected home detention primarily because the couple have three young children to care for.

Both defendants were ordered to pay $1500 each and were banned from owning any animals.

RSPCA SA Chief Inspector Andrea Lewis said the case represented a total absence of any understanding of the responsibilities of pet ownership.

“Sky could barely stand when found and was losing layers of fur – her body was in full survival mode, desperately trying to cling to life,” Inspector Lewis said.

“With long-coated dogs such as these, you can’t usually tell if they’re underweight without feeling them, but with Sky the fact that she was literally starving to death was all too obvious.”

Animal Justice Party’s lead candidate Louise Pfeiffer said today’s judgement highlighted the urgent need for an Animal Offender Registration List - the first of its kind in the nation.

“The Animal Offender Registration List will ensure anyone convicted of serious and aggravated animal abuse would be placed on a central register to ensure they can never own, care for or work with animals again.

“We are a state that loves our pets and South Australians are sick to death of seeing and hearing about animal cruelty. This Offender Registration list will go a long way towards stopping the cycle of violence.”

“I hope today’s sentence is a chilling reminder to anyone who thinks animal abuse is ok.”