No Cruelty To Dogs This Time, But Cruelty To A Leopard Seal In Nz

[Boronia]

Yes, I know... it is a seal...not a dog. I hope they give these sentences for cruelty to dogs as well. The knobs won't do it again in a hurry, especially now their names are published!

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breakin...f-1225952738727

A 20-year-old man has become the first person to be jailed in New Zealand for an attack on a leopard seal, described by a judge as an "inhumane" act.

Harley David McKenzie was sentenced to four months' jail after appearing before Judge Kevin Phillips in the Invercargill District Court today, on a charge of taking a leopard seal and injuring it.

McKenzie was caught out by the Department of Conservation (DoC) after photos were put on Facebook of him and two friends attacking a protected leopard seal in October last year, the Southland Times reported.

Judge Phillips said it was a barbaric, inhumane act.

"The seal was clearly distressed and at one stage it lost consciousness ... it is atrocious behaviour," he said.

The three men saw the seal as they were driving past Te Waewae Bay, on the coast of Southland, and after stopping, began filming themselves throwing rocks at it before dragging it down a beach.

McKenzie's friends Michael William Matthews, 23, and Phillip Ray Horrell, 24, were fined $NZ5000 ($3,910) and $NZ7000 ($5,474) on the same charge when sentenced last month.

The maximum penalty for the charge under the Marine Mammals Protection Act 1978 is six months in jail or a $NZ250,000 ($195,519) fine.

[Kelly_Louise]

Ugh... just... ugh.

These people need help. Jail time is a start too though. A year would have been better though.

[nellbell]

I so like the naming and shameing, that needs to be par for the course on all defenceless living being (animal or human) cruelty cases. I think a published photo to go with it as well. morons

[Tapferhund]

I agree, they should be named and shamed and with a photo of the three of them. Lets hope there are some animal lovers in the prison system and Harley gets more than he bargained for during his four month stay !

[Sue]

And these three are part of a sheep shearing gang. I hope every farmer keeps them off his land and forces the shearing gang boss to fire their backsides. They should have no access to animals. I also hope that every girl will stay well away from them too. We don't need them breeding.