Man Drowns Dog In Esky :-(

[k9angel]

26-year-old Castletown man has been handed a suspended sentence, fined $5000 and ordered to pay costs of $1500 after admitting to kicking and drowning his dog in an esky.

Appearing in Esperance Magistrate's Court on a charge of animal cruelty, Michael David Hastie was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

As well as the sentence and the fine, Hastie was also banned from having a pet for the next five years.

An application for a spent conviction order was rejected by Magistrate Felicity Zempilas.

Earlier, Hastie told the court he only kicked the dog once in anger, breaking its right hind leg, when he returned home from work about 10.30am on May 30 and realised it had damaged his reticulation system.

He then decided to put the animal "out of its misery" by drowning it in an esky, because it was in pain.

But veterinary surgeon Isabel Norman, who conducted an autopsy on the dog, told the court it had been exposed before death to three blunt force trauma injuries, caused by a large object, to its leg, stomach and upper jaw.

Hastie said he phoned two veterinary practices – Swans Veterinary Services and the Esperance Veterinary Hospital – three times on a landline and then placed 10 calls on his mobile phone to an after-hours message service, all on May 30.

He said he only reached a message bank, but his phone records indicated he had dialled 101 – the same number used to retrieve messages on mobile phones.

Ms Zempilas found Hastie had drowned the dog deliberately, and that he had not tried to seek medical assistance for the wounded animal.

She said the sentence needed to send a strong message to the accused and the wider community that such conduct is never acceptable and must be punished.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newsh...r-dog-drowning/

Poor dog. R.I.P.

[RL1]

Shocking.

I'd like to drown the owner.

[Esky the husky]

[dogfan]

RIP doggie

[Rusky]

poor poor dog. Because it took up the retic ? ffs

RIP sweetheart

[BCPuppy]

Good on the magistrate for rejecting his excuses, the article does not record the fact that he went on to brag about killing the poor dog. I hope he never gets hold of another animal to torture.

:D

RIP puppy

[jagersmum]

So terrible.

Unfortunately animals are too good for some humans.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Scumbag, rotten filth. He doesn't deserve to stay on the planet.

[Jed]

Who reported him? What kind of dog, does anyone know?

I was speaking to someone last night, who knew a warder at a gaol where offenders were flogged - yes a long time ago. He said that no one who was flogged offended again.

It seems to me that the penalty for animal cruelty should be flogging. Magistrates should have no option - all they can do is decide the number of lashes.

Yep, it's pretty nasty, but so is kicking the shit out of your dog, not seeking help, drowning it, skiting about it, and then lying through your back teeth in court.

20 of the best for this one. Adminstered by some ugly dude in a studded collar and a leather mask.

Yep, I am serious. Something has to be done, nothing else works, magistrates don't see much harm in doing this obviously. And the idiot that did it? He'd be laughing his head off. And he'll get another dog when he feels like it.

[Cheyd]

Who reported him? What kind of dog, does anyone know?

I was speaking to someone last night, who knew a warder at a gaol where offenders were flogged - yes a long time ago. He said that no one who was flogged offended again.

It seems to me that the penalty for animal cruelty should be flogging. Magistrates should have no option - all they can do is decide the number of lashes.

Yep, it's pretty nasty, but so is kicking the shit out of your dog, not seeking help, drowning it, skiting about it, and then lying through your back teeth in court.

20 of the best for this one. Adminstered by some ugly dude in a studded collar and a leather mask.

Yep, I am serious. Something has to be done, nothing else works, magistrates don't see much harm in doing this obviously. And the idiot that did it? He'd be laughing his head off. And he'll get another dog when he feels like it.

There was a thread about this story when it was first reported

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...;hl=drowned+dog

[Everythings Shiny]

What a rubbish sentence - he needs jail time

[Toolz]

RIP little doggy

NZ needs to get tougher like you Aussies seem to be doing..

[OSoSwift]

Who reported him? What kind of dog, does anyone know?

I was speaking to someone last night, who knew a warder at a gaol where offenders were flogged - yes a long time ago. He said that no one who was flogged offended again.

It seems to me that the penalty for animal cruelty should be flogging. Magistrates should have no option - all they can do is decide the number of lashes.

Yep, it's pretty nasty, but so is kicking the shit out of your dog, not seeking help, drowning it, skiting about it, and then lying through your back teeth in court.

20 of the best for this one. Adminstered by some ugly dude in a studded collar and a leather mask.

Yep, I am serious. Something has to be done, nothing else works, magistrates don't see much harm in doing this obviously. And the idiot that did it? He'd be laughing his head off. And he'll get another dog when he feels like it.

Jed my understanding is the dog was a medium cross breed of probably bull breed history, like a Staffy X which are very common around here. I believe a person whom he bragged to reported him to the ranger but their identity is being kept annonymous. I am thankful he has actually been found guilty, even though I do not think the result is severe enough as the man from Noreseman who killed the horse, his case got thrown out due to some minor techinicality. So at least this one has been found guilty.

I know someone who WAS a friend of his and she was completely shocked. He won't have too many friends now. This town is small enough he will feel the repercussions for a long time-as he should.

[gwenneth1]

It seems that abusers of the most vulnerable in the world get very light to zero punishment for the most disgusting inhuman behaviour . I just don't get it!