Rotting oozing growths: Man slammed as horse dies 200kg underweight

A WA man has been sentenced for animal cruelty after his horse, Mack, was found to be starved and covered in painful growths.

Man slammed as horse dies 200kg underweight

CONTENT WARNING: PICTURES OF ANIMAL CRUELTY

A 50-year-old man from Western Australia has been sentenced for animal cruelty in the Albany Magistrates Court after his horse, Mack, was found to be emaciated and covered in painful growths.

On March 31 last year an RSPCA inspector arrived at the offender’s address to investigate a cruelty report and found Mack in poor condition.

The horse was found to have a strong rotting smell emitting from oozing growths on his body, and a vet exam revealed he was 200kg underweight and had growths around his mouth that appeared infected and would have been causing immense pain.

A WA man has been sentenced for animal cruelty after his horse, Mack, was found to be starved and covered in painful growths. Picture: RSPCA WA

A WA Magistrate described Mack’s condition as ‘hideous’. Picture: RSPCA WA

Despite the vet’s recommendation to humanely euthanise Mack to end his suffering, the offender refused, and the RSPCA inspector seized the horse.

Further testing revealed multiple medical issues, but Mack could not be saved despite intensive treatment.

Distressing footage and photos shared with news.com.au show him severely underweight, with his ribs clearly visible and his face covered in sores.

In sentencing, Magistrate Dianne Scaddan described the growths on Mack’s body as “hideous” and noted that he “must have been in pain.”

RSPCA Inspector Manager, Kylie Green, spoke out about the case, saying that Mack’s suffering was plain to see.

He was found 200 kgs underweight. Picture: RSPCA WA

“It would have been clear to anyone attending to this horse every day, as the owner claimed to be doing, that Mack needed urgent vet treatment,” she said.

“The tumours and ulcers on his mouth were so bad that the simple act of eating would have been painful.

“The offender’s determination to ignore the obvious resulted in many months of unnecessary suffering for poor Mack.

“If you are no longer able to provide a suitable level of care for your animals, you must reach out for help sooner rather than later. It’s never OK for an animal to deteriorate without treatment the way Mack did.”

Mack could not be saved. Picture: RSPCA WA

The offender was fined $4000 and banned from contact with horses and pets for three years, charged under the Animal Welfare Act 2002, and ordered to pay $2808 in court and care costs to the RSPCA.

The animal welfare authority said the case serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the consequences of neglect and cruelty towards animals and the importance of seeking help if one cannot provide proper care.