A Tauranga man has been sentenced to four months and two weeks of community detention, having failed to care for his seven puppies.
Taufia Aleluia was sentenced this week in the Tauranga District Court, found to have neglected his seven puppies' physical health and behavioural needs, as well as failing to provide veterinary treatement for one of the dogs.
The case, which dates back to June, saw SPCA inspectors find Mr Aleluia to have underfed his dogs while he claimed to be away for a weekend, having left the puppies in the care of a younger relative.
Further inspection found that six of the puppies were contained inside a kennel run, with the seventh free roaming.
The dogs were not provided with any water, and underfed to the extent where their ribs, hips and spines were prominent.
The seven dogs were later taken into the possession of the SPCA, where veterinary assessment found they were all in poor body condition, all had a heavy flea burden, associated anaemia, and all had a heavy intestinal worms.
One of the puppies was also found to have a large intestinal hernia, and a deep abrasion to her left rear foot, and a deep wound on her abdomen. That dog was humanely euthanised by a vet.
As a result, he's been ordered to pay $441.50 in reparations, and $1500 worth of SPCA legal costs, and also been banned from owning dogs for five years.
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