A woman who left her dog to die in a shed with maggot infested wounds has been prosecuted by the SPCA.
Now, she has been banned from owning a dog for three years after 'Tahi' was found in a heartbreaking state by the SPCA and had to be euthanised.
The SPCA said staff were called to an address in Hastings in January 2022 after a concerned person reported an injured dog.
On arrival, staff were met by the woman and discovered her American Bulldog cross, Tahi, lying in a shed at the back of the property.
His left hind-leg was swollen from the foot up to the thigh. The skin around the leg area extending towards his foot was severely damaged with exposed flesh and pus discharge.
There was a damp patch on the wooden floor under the area of damaged skin, which appeared to be pus discharge. There was a strong, unpleasant smell coming from the dog, which the SPCA inspector believed was typical of infected putrid flesh.
The inspector told the woman that Tahi needed urgent veterinary attention and she agreed to surrender the dog to the SPCA.
Tahi was taken straight to the vet who found the dog was depressed, barely responsive and severely emaciated.
Both eyes were sunken which indicated serious dehydration. He had a skin infection in his lips, with one of his lip folds infested with maggots. He had thickened skin across his abdomen and maggots in his groin and scrotum area. He could only stand for short periods of time before collapsing on his side and he refused to walk at all.
The vet found the Tahi had suffered numerous wounds that were likely from a dog attack and had become infected. The lack of treatment "very likely" caused a number of inflammatory conditions.
"Sadly, due to the extreme pain Tahi was in and the extent of his infections, the decision was made to euthanise him immediately to end his suffering," the SPCA said.
The woman told the SPCA Tahi was always roaming and getting in fights with other dogs but his wounds usually healed. She said in late December he had arrived home with a large cut across his left hind leg, as if it had been sliced open.
The woman said she tried to treat the wound by washing it and putting a bandage on it but Tahi's condition continued to deteriorate and he stopped eating, drinking and sleeping. She told SPCA she didn’t seek veterinary treatment as she thought she could treat the wound herself by washing it.
She said once the wound became infected, Tahi had started living in the shed and she thought he wouldn't make it and should be put down.
She said when she saw maggots in the wound, she didn’t contact a veterinarian as she didn't know if they'd be open on a weekend, the SPCA said.
SPCA Chief Executive Todd Westwood said there was absolutely no excuse to let Tahi’s condition deteriorate in such a brutal and uncaring way.
"Tahi was seriously injured and instead of getting it seen to, he was left in a shed where he lay suffering until someone notified our team. In this time his wounds became horribly infected, he was starving and dehydrated," Westwood said.
"The owner knew this, yet still didn't seek vet treatment of any kind. This is unacceptable, cruel and neglectful. I am certain that Tahi’s wounds could have been easily treated in the initial stages and his life could have been saved."
The woman pleaded guilty at Wairoa District Court to a charge of failing to ensure her animal received treatment to alleviate any pain or distress.
She was sentenced to 150 hours community work and disqualified from owning dogs for a period of three-and-a-half years. She was also ordered to pay reparations to SPCA of $2,575.90 and $400 towards legal costs.
