Jessica Lee sentenced for animal cruelty after hitting dog in Hurstville home

A Hurstville woman has been ordered to pay the RSPCA’s vet costs after her dog Kookie was seized when she repeatedly struck him on the face and body because he was chewing her shoes.

Jessica Lee, a medical student struck her dog Kookie in the face and on the body multiple times and pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A medical student will have to pay RSPCA veterinary costs after she hit her small dog multiple times to discipline him when he chewed her shoes.

Jessica Suat Yun Lee, 27, pleaded guilty to committing an act of cruelty on an animal and was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.

Agreed facts tendered to court said an RSPCA inspector went to Lee’s Hurstville house after receiving a complaint of ill treatment towards a small dog on November 21 last year.

The inspector assessed the dog, a male tan poodle cross border collie named Kookie and found he was in good body condition but had bruising, red marks and swelling on his right eye and face.

The inspector seized the dog and interviewed Lee, confirming she owned Kookie and was responsible for his treatment and care.

Kookie had bruising, red marks and swelling on his right eye and face. Picture: RSPCA

She admitted to hitting the dog the previous night, telling the inspector, “it was me … I smacked him on the back and the side. I can’t tell you how many times,” the documents said.

“I used my hand, I smacked him a few times on his bum, his back and then on his snout because I didn’t want him to keep biting the shoes.

“I only held his head to hit his nose … he squealed really loudly when I hit his nose.”

Lee said Kookie started jumping on the couch before he calmed down and she pat him before he started barking aggressively and went to sleep.

Lee then admitted to smacking Kookie’s bottom a few times when he chewed her shoe again the next morning.

Lee told the inspector she had not received training to discipline a dog appropriately.

Jessica Suat Yun Lee supported by her husband Sebastian Penedo hid her face from the media when leaving Sutherland Local Court. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

An RSPCA vet examined Kookie and “found extensive bruising and reddening to its eye area, snout and abdomen” as well as bleeding into his eye.

Blood results showed there also had been muscle damage from trauma.

The vet opined the injuries were “consistent with having been stuck repeatedly” and caused the dog unnecessary pain and suffering.

Kookie was given anti-inflammatory and eye ointment to treat the injuries and fully recovered.

Lee did not agree to surrender Kookie at the time but in February gave up ownership of him to the RSPCA.

Magistrate Philip Stewart said Lee, who was studying medicine at university, seemed “highly intelligent”, had no criminal history and noted the incident appeared to be “isolated” and a “one-off”.

Jessica Lee had to pay veterinary costs but was not convicted in Sutherland Local Court.

“From the evidence before the court, I am entirely satisfied she is a person who puts back into her community,” he said.

“She has strong involvement in her faith and has taken part in charity work raising money for the less fortunate.”

Mr Stewart warned she should not have tried to hide behind excuses of financial difficulty, her grandmother being ill and stresses of a new marriage and university as reasons why she struck the dog but accepted she had taken responsibility for her behaviour.

He determined Lee was “highly unlikely to reoffend” and had completed courses in the proper raising of a dog, adding she had taken “positive steps towards her rehabilitation”.

Mr Stewart did not convict Lee but placed her on a conditional release order where she must be of good behaviour for six months.

Lee was ordered to pay $1600 in fees to cover veterinary and court costs.