Doonside local Michael Cauchi pleads not guilty to animal cruelty charges for his 276 pigeons

A man continues to fight charges of animal cruelty and failing to provide vet care after he kept 276 pigeons. Here’s the latest.

Michael Cauchi leaving Blacktown Local Court on Thursday. Picture: Tileah Dobson

A western Sydney man has denied animal cruelty and failing to provide vet care to his 276 pigeons.

Doonside local Michael Cauchi, 62, returned to the Blacktown Local Court this week, continuing to fight charges including two counts of failure to provide vet treatment and commit an act of cruelty upon an animal. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Documents tendered to the court state between June 1 and August 15 2023, Cauchi is alleged to have kept 276 pigeons in unhygienic conditions locked in a shed.

As a result of the crowded and unhygienic conditions, it’s alleged by the RSPCA the pigeons were “unreasonably, unnecessarily and unjustifiably inflicted with pain”.

The RSPCA allegedly found 276 pigeons in Cauchi’s shed. Picture: Richard Polden

Cauchi is also alleged to have failed to provide vet care for the pigeons, resulting in all of them having coccidia, roundworm and whipworm, and poor body conditions.

In court on Thursday, Cauchi’s lawyer made a Section 14 mental health application for his client, saying he suffers from “an intellectual disorder” and that his client “will be monitored in the coming months”.

A Section 14 would allow a local court to divert a defendant with certain psychological or cognitive conditions out of the criminal justice system.

Michael Cauchi has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Picture: Tileah Dobson

However, a lawyer representing the RSPCA urged the court to have the matter “dealt with according to the law” in “the interest of justice”.

Magistrate Rami Attia voiced his doubts around Cauchi following any compliance orders, especially with the “mistreatment of a number of pigeons”.

Mr Attia refused Cauchi’s Section 14 application, setting a new hearing date for June 17.

Cauchi will return to the same court on May 13 to confirm the hearing date.