CRUELTY TO A DOG

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1930, Page 15

CRUELTY TO A DOG

HEAD BEATEN ON PATH,

TEMPER LOST AFTER BITE

"This is a case of gross cruelty to a little dog,” said Sergeant D. J. O’Neill in the Onchunga Police Court on Monday, when Thomas Frederick Young (Mr. Singer) was charged with cruelly causing a dog unnecessary pain by hitting its head on the pavement and yet not definitely killing it. Ormi D. Sutherland, aged 11, said she saw accused call a dog to him, catch hold of it, and beat it against as asphalt path just inside his gateway. He then threw it out into the road. The dog layon its side in the roadway, yelping. Accused went into the house and the dog stopped crying. Later, he went out again and hit the dog on the road again, Mrs. Edgar Sutherland said that about 7 p.m. on December 17, she heard a dog yelp. On looking out, she saw a black dog lying on the road. After she had watched it for''a few moments, she saw accused go out, pick up the dog and carry it just inside his gate. She saw him-pick it up by the hind legs, lift it up above his head and beat it against the path. She could not bear seeing it and went inside.

Airs. Margaret Hazel Alexander said that she heard a dog yelp and on looking through her window she saw Young apparently hitting something with some instriin-er.t. She asked him what he was doing, and lie said: “It must be done, it is ton far gone.” Constable Wilkes said that at 7.45 p.m. accused went to the station and reported killing his dog, because it had worried a pigeon. He stated that he had kicked the dog and made it sick. It jumped into the road and he had hit its head against the path. About 7.50. witness went to accused’s place and found the dog just inside the gate, still alive but unconscious. Witness did not see pigeon feathers.

Z. R. C. Jones, veterinary ’surgeon, said that he had examined the dog and found it badly bruised all over. It could be seen from the eyes that it was in pain, although unconscious. The next morning it was destroyed. Mrs. Betty Thomas, at whose house accused boarded, said that she saw a black dog in the yard with a pigeon in its month. She told accused, who went to tire dog and tried to drive it away. The dog bit him badly twice and then accused hit it against the path. Hie rain must have prevented the constables from seeing the pigeon’s fc*thers. Witness had done nothing for the dog. The dog was just going to jump over the gate when accused tried to grab it. He had never kicked the dog. 'l’lie bite on accused’s hand was then shown to the magistrate. Accused, in evidence, corroborated the statements made by the previous witness. Questioned by the magistrate, he said that he went to the dog with the intention of tying it up until its owners called for it. but when it bit him, he lost his temper. Accused was fined £5, costs £2 10s (xl.