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Case #17142 Rating: 1.0 out of 5
Shetland Pony dragged behind car
Toowoomba, QLD (AU)Incident Date: Saturday, Dec 25, 2010
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 2 files available
Defendants/Suspects:
» Zachery Hudson
» Andrew Christopher Cook
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
Animal welfare workers and authorities have been horrified by the sickening abuse of a Shetland pony that was dragged behind a car on Murphy's Creek Road, near Highfields in Toowoomba's north.
The male pony sustained severe lacerations to its fore and hind quarter legs in the Christmas Day attack and its hooves were left torn and bloodied.
Toowoomba Police shift supervisor Sergeant Vern Holcombe said two men driving an older-model brown 1988-89 VN Holden Commodore sedan were seen leading the pony along Murphy's Creek Road, near the intersection of Stevens Road, about 1pm.
The animal had a rope tied around its neck, which was being held onto by the front seat passenger through the car window.
"Initially they were not going too fast, but as they got faster the horse kept stumbling and would be dragged along the ground on its chest," Sgt Holcombe said.
"This happened a number of times until a member of the public confronted them.
"They let go of the rope and left the horse on the side of the road."
Sgt Holcombe said a lot of the pony's hide was worn off and had been scraped down to the bone on its knees and chest.
A vet tended to the animal at a nearby property before it was taken to Brisbane yesterday for further treatment.
Sgt Holcombe said the people who witnessed the brutal act were pretty upset.
"It defies imagination as to what these people (the offenders) were doing."
RSPCA Queensland assistant chief inspector Tracey Jackson said the animal was in considerable pain and had difficulty walking and standing.
"This is one poor creature that had a horrendous Christmas Day," she said.
Sergeant Holcombe said the pony was expected to survive the ordeal.
Anyone with information about the owners of the pony or the offenders is urged to call the cruelty complaints hotline on 1300 852 188.
Case UpdatesA man and a youth who severely injured a Shetland pony when they dragged it behind a car near Toowoomba in Queensland on Christmas Day have avoided jail terms.
Zachery Hudson, 17, and Andrew Christopher Cook, 33, both of Murphys Creek, pleaded guilty in the Gatton Magistrates Court on Tuesday to animal cruelty.
Hudson received two years' probation with no conviction recorded, while Cook was given a three-month wholly suspended jail term, with a conviction recorded.
The pair was charged after tethering the pony, dubbed Elf by RSPCA staff, to a car with a rope and dragging it along Murphys Creek Road, near Toowoomba.
Elf's horrific injuries included severe abrasion wounds, some of which exposed its leg joints, and severely damaged and bloodied hooves.
Vets initially thought they would have to put the pony down but it made a remarkable recovery.
RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said the organisation was disappointed with the men's punishment, but added that the magistrate was bound to follow sentences in other comparable cases.
"We're obviously disappointed in the actual sentences," he told AAP on Tuesday.
"We feel that the sentence didn't stand up to community expectations."
The attack on Elf was one of a number of sickening cases which had prompted the government to increase the maximum penalty for serious animal cruelty.
The state's criminal code will be amended to create a new serious animal cruelty offence carrying a maximum seven years' jail, increasing the penalty from the current two-year maximum, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said on Monday.
Elf's case has been followed closely by animal lovers via the RSPCA's Facebook page.
The pony is likely to be adopted by a charity which uses horses to educate and build self-esteem in disadvantaged young people.
Cook and Hudson have been ordered to pay $3820 each in compensation, which will go to the equine surgery which cared for Elf. | Source: ninemsn.com.au - Mar 15, 2011
Update posted on Jul 4, 2011 - 2:17PM |
Two men will face court in Queensland over a sickening attack in which a Shetland pony was dragged behind a car on Christmas Day.
The men, aged 17 and 33, will face animal cruelty charges when they appear in court at Gatton, west of Brisbane on Tuesday, the RSPCA said.
The pony, dubbed Elf by RSPCA staff, suffered horrific injuries from being tethered to the car with a rope and dragged along Murphys Creek Road, near Toowoomba.
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The animal's injuries included severe abrasion wounds, some of which exposed its leg joints, and severely damaged and bloodied hooves.
Vets initially thought they would have to put the pony down but he managed to make a remarkable recovery.
Elf will go into foster care with a charity that uses horses to educate and build self-esteem in disadvantaged young people.
Both of the charged men are from Murphys Creek. | Source: smh.com.au - Feb 28, 2011
Update posted on Feb 28, 2011 - 8:23PM |
A 17-year-old youth will appear in court later this month over an incident in which a shetland stallion was dragged from a car on Christmas Day.
Toowoomba police have charged the youth with animal cruelty, alleging he was the person holding a rope from a passenger window which was tied around the horse's neck.
The stallion, now in Queensland RSPCA care, has extensive lacerations and torn hooves, but is expected to recover.
Police and the RSPCA began investigated after members of the public reported challenging the two men who were pulling the shetland alongside a Holden Commodore.
It is alleged the vehicle picked up speed until the animal stumbled and was dragged. The pair allegedly repeated the scenario several times.
The youth, from Helidon Spa, has been ordered to appear in the Gatton Magistrates Court this month.
Efforts are continuing to locate the driver. | Source: horsetalk.co.nz - Jan 1, 2011
Update posted on Jan 1, 2011 - 1:12AM |
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