Whyalla couple sentenced after mistreatment of puppies results in one dog euthanised

A three-year-old dog and her seven puppies mistreated by Whyalla owners were all found extremely emaciated.

A Whyalla couple have been sentenced to a two-month jail term with a suspended good behaviour bond after being found guilty of abusing their dog and puppies which resulted in a pet’s death.

The Whyalla couple, a man and woman both aged 30, were convicted in the Whyalla Magistrate Court yesterday after pleading guilty to three counts of animal mistreatment and have received a suspension of an 18-month period.

Macaroni and her seven pups were found extremely emaciated. Picture: RSPCA SA.

The abuse resulted in one of the puppies having to be euthanised. Picture: RSPCA SA.

The Magistrate Luke Davis expressed his disgust when he viewed the photographic evidence of the animal’s conditions before they were seized by the RSPCA.

“It was appalling the state those dogs were found in,” his Honour said

“It was sickening to look at those photos. If members of the community could see those photos they would be very upset as we all were having to see them.”

The couple was identified when a RSPCA inspector responded to a cruelty complaint on January 3 and then visited their property in Stuart whereupon they discovered the mistreated three-year-old dog named Macaroni and her seven pups.

Upon first inspection, the female defendant claimed the reason for Macaroni’s 13kg weight was the dog’s recent parvo virus illness and giving birth to seven puppies.

RSPCA’s further inspection concluded the mother and her puppies were extremely emaciated and suffered from ringworms.

The defendants are forbidden from owning any other pets with the exception of their male adult dog. Picture: RSPCA SA.

The inspector had convinced the woman defendant to surrender the dogs and it was agreed the RSPCA would collect them the following day – but upon returning the RSPCA found one of the puppies struggling to breathe.

The little pup was transferred and humanely euthanised.

The two defendants were not present in the house when the RSPCA had returned to pick up the dogs.

The mother and her remaining six puppies were nursed back to health at the Lonsdale shelter and saw Macaroni increase her weight from 13kg to 15.6kg.

Most of the dogs have been rehomed.

Magistrate Davis said the case had warranted a penalty of imprisonment due to the severity of the evidence.

The prison term was suspended, however, the defendants are forbidden from owning any other pets with the exception of their male adult dog which was assessed to not be in “poor condition”.

But the dog would require being registered, desexed and provided with a basic kennel within 60 days.

Each defendant also had to pay $375 in court fees as the RSPCA did not seek other costs.