Nine horror animal cruelty cases that shocked Mackay

From the mutilation of a beautiful fox terrier to the callous drowning of 12 pups, these are nine truly heartbreaking cases of animal cruelty across the Mackay region.

The torture and death of a puppy named Peanut

IT WAS considered one of the worst cases of animal cruelty in Australian history.

The horrifying mutilation and death of a seven-month-old puppy named Peanut at Moranbah in October 2008 made national headlines.

Peanut, the loving fox terrier pup died a horrible death after being tortured at Moranbah.

His sadistic killers were heard laughing in the background as they videotaped their cruel and callous torture on a mobile phone.

When the vile details were read aloud in Mackay District Court people in the public gallery wept.

Two friends kidnapped Peanut in revenge after one had a falling out with the dog's owner.

The pair then mutilated, dismembered and decapitated the little fox terrier in a park behind the Moranbah rodeo grounds.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MACKAY ANIMAL CRUELTY HOTSPOTS

Peanut

The actual details are shocking.

Prosecutor David Morters at the time said, by looking at the video: "It is quite clear that both (the) co-accused are enthusiastic about their actions. They are laughing and making comments.

"It is also clear in the video that the dog is in excruciating pain."

One of the two was given the maximum sentences for killing an animal - three years jail - and was released after serving 12 months. Judge Michael Shanahan ordered the videotapes be destroyed.

Basil the cat

 

Basil the cat cruelly butchered

BARELY a month after the shocking torture and death of Peanut the fox terrier came to light, a Mount Pleasant family was horrified after their pet cat was butchered and dumped on nearby school grounds.

In early November 2008 Basil's gruesome and bloodied remains were found on the Northview State Primary School oval, discovered by students two days after he had escaped the family home.

Basil was found dismembered at a nearby school yard.

An autopsy revealed the four-year-old feline had deliberately been killed by people and not another animal. Basil, who was described as a loveable and friendly cat, had been dismembered, with the damaged labelled "controlled and calculated".

At the time the family offered a $500 reward to find the sadistic killer. Days later the owner of Peanut boosted the reward to $1000 by offering another $500 for information leading to the convictions of Basil's killers.

Numerous concerned community members also pledged various amounts with the reward jumping to $5600 at one point.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MACKAY ANIMAL CRUELTY HOTSPOTS

Four-month-old pup's eyes glued shut

THE tragic plight of a King Charles cocker spaniel-cross affectionately named "Sticky" touched hearts across Mackay.

The Mackay community was shocked by the tragic plights of Sticky when some callous person deliberately glued his eyes shut.

Someone had cruelly glued the four-month-old pup's eyes shut.

It took Mackay vet Holly Goldring 45 minutes to cut through the glue so the little dog could open his eyes again.

He was lucky to be alive. Dr Goldring told the Daily Mercury the dog had also suffered what appeared to be chemical-like burns.

The pup was taken to the vet after two people called police to say they had seen a man abusing it near a walking track on Binnington Esplanade in mid-September 2010.

Sticky the puppy

It is alleged the two people saw the dog being thrown, kicked and dragged along the path and punched repeatedly.

As a result a prison parolee pleaded guilty to unlawfully injuring a dog and breaching his duty of care to an animal by not providing veterinary care. He was fined $1500 and banned from owning a dog for five years.

The Mackay Magistrates Court heard he kicked, dropped and slapped the little pup. However, someone else was allegedly responsible for gluing Sticky's eyes shut.

It took a vet 45 minutes to cut through the glue binding this four-month-old pup's eyes shut.

Goat slaughtered, head left on pole

IN A brutal act of animal cruelty, a pregnant goat was decapitated at the Sarina Rural Skills Centre, leaving its high school student carers devastated.

Its head was placed on top of a nearby fence pole.

The body of the two-year-old goat was discovered in a rear paddock in the agricultural unit in late March 2009 with the shocking offence happening in a one-hour window in the afternoon.

One of her legs had also been stabbed several times.

 

Cat shot with a .22 calibre rifle

A BELOVED family cat had to have her leg amputated after she was shot with a .22 rifle.

Missy left front leg had to be amputated after she was shot.

Eight-year-old Missy rarely wandered out of her Andergrove home territory and her owner was shocked to find the little black and white cat grievously injured in June 2009.

She was near death and her leg had to be removed because the bullet had shattered her left elbow joint beyond repair.

 

Puppies dumped in garbage bag

MACKAY ANIMAL CRUELTY HOTSPOTS: 

15 puppies left to die

A PIONEER Valley resident was absolutely horrified to find 15 puppies stuffed inside a garbage bag on a creek bed at Mount Ossa.

Heartbreakingly, only three survived the ordeal.

When the garbage bag was found in September 2007 it was half-submerged in crocodile infested waters.

This puppy was amount 15 stuffed in a garbage bag and dumped at a river in Mount Ossa.

As a result 12 dogs drowned before they were rescued.

Their rescuer had been fishing at a nearby creek when he heard something crying and came across the doomed pups.

After he buried the ones that did not survive, he nursed the three back to health over a number of weeks before taking them to a vet.

This puppy was amount 15 stuffed in a garbage bag and dumped at a river in Mount Ossa.

"It's just disgusting," he told the Daily Mercury at the time.

"I heard something like whimpering, I shone the torch near the water and I found them.

"Half the bag was in the water and about half was on dry land - they had all been wet."

 

Border collie pup shot

THE owners of a border collie named Surri were shocked to find their 12-month-old pup had been shot with a .22 rifle.

Surri was shot by a 0.22 calibre rifle.

The couple had just moved to their Ooralea home five days before the incident occurred in March 2011.

They believe Surri may have escaped under the fence.

The bullet shattered her left femur and a metal plate had to be inserted to reconstruct her broken leg.

 

Dog shot with a bow and arrow

Eight-month-old Tia's life was cut short when she was shot with a bow and arrow in a shocking case of animal cruelty in a North Mackay suburban street.

Tia's died after she was shot with a bow and arrow in a North Mackay suburban street.

The American Staffy-bulldog cross survived the initial attack but sadly died shortly after surgery due to the extent of her injuries.

Tia was found four doors from her home in a front yard in April 2011 after an arrow when straight through her chest puncturing a lung and hitting some of the main arteries in the heart.

Dog shot with bow and arrow

The weapon was not found, there was just an entry and exit wound.

Her owner, who was not home at the time, was devastated by her death.

 

 

Leila the dog

Dog left to suffer severe broken leg

LEILA, a beautiful rottweiler, was left to suffer with a leg to severely broken it later had to be amputated by vets.

It is unknown how the 18-month-old dog's leg was broken in June 2011, but it was several days before she received medical treatment.

The area where the bone had come through her left hind leg had scabbed over.

Her injury was so bad that veterinarians had no choice but to remove the leg, which had multiple fractures to the point it was able to bend back on her.

Leila the rottweiler was left to suffer with a severely broken leg, which had to be amputated.

Leila also had fleas and was undernourished, with her spine and hip bones protruding.

As a result a woman was charged with breaching a duty of care to a pet by failing to provide medical assistance - she claimed she did not have money to pay for treatment or petrol to drive the dog to help. Eventually the woman sent the dog back to its former owner, who arranged assistance.

She was ordered to complete 67 hours of unpaid community service and was banned from owning a dog for 18 months.

It was revealed the tragic story of Leila had links to another shocking animal cruelty case - she was formerly owned by the man convicted of animal negligence against Sticky, the pup whose eyes were glued shut.

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