Phillip Hurst: Bundall man guilty of failing to provide for dogs after leaving them in hot car
A Gold Coast man has told a court he takes “full responsibility” for his actions after leaving two distressed dogs locked in a hot car.
A Gold Coast man has been told by a magistrate he is lucky the RSPCA hasn’t applied to ban him from pet ownership after he pleaded guilty to leaving his two dogs locked in a hot vehicle.
Bundall man Phillip Patrick Hurst, 31, appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on December 3, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching a duty of care to an animal by failing to provide for the animal’s needs.
The offence occurred at Cypress Ave, Surfers Paradise on November 7.
The court heard Hurst parked his vehicle in a car park on Z street at 10.06am and decamped, leaving two dogs locked inside.
The dogs “appeared to be distressed,” the court heard, with both pacing about the confined space and panting heavily.
The dogs did not have access to water, and after they were freed from the vehicle, they consumed one litre of water within minutes of being provided it, the court heard.
A review of the CCTV indicated Hurst had been away from his vehicle for 39 minutes.
Hurst told the court he took “full responsibility for my actions,” which he described as a “momentary lapse of judgement”.
He confirmed he still owned the dogs.
Magistrate Gary Finger launched a spray at Hurst, telling the defendant if RSPCA had’ve chosen to make an application barring Hurst from pet ownership, he would’ve granted it.
He fined Hurst $700 with no conviction recorded.
