 Three dogs starved, one found dead
Kawakawa, NL (NZ)Incident Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Disposition: Convicted
Abusers/Suspects:
» Jane Turner
» Peter Beckham
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A Bay of Islands couple have been banned from owning any animals after they were found to have starved their dog to death.
Inspectors for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) who were called to the Kawakawa property of Jane Turner, 30, and Peter Beckham, 23, May 18 2005 found two dogs in a seriously emaciated state, the Kaikohe District Court heard April 27, 2006.
Both dogs were near death and one was not expected to make it through the night.
A third dog was found dead on the property.
Prosecutor James Boyd told the court two of the dogs were chained within a few metres of the couple's front door and were visible to anyone entering or passing by the entrance.
One of the dogs � a Shepherd cross named Simba � had weighed 13.8kg when seized by the SPCA. The second dog, known as Dear Max, weighed 10.9kg when located and now weighed 25kg.
An examination of the dead dog revealed a total absence of fatty tissue.
Its muscles had atrophied away. Its body had in effect dissolved its own tissue in an effort to keep alive," Mr Boyd said.
The examination confirmed the dog died of starvation and the other dogs were starved close to death.
When SPCA inspectors returned to the couple's house that evening with a search warrant to seize the dead dog, Beckham had buried the dog and inspector's had to exhume it for post-mortem.
In sentencing the couple, Judge Tomkins said in view of the pre-sentence reports on the couple, imprisonment was not appropriate.
He said Turner's culpability was less than Beckham's and sentenced Turner to 100 hours community work on each charge.
Beckham was sentenced to 250 hours of community work on each charge.
The couple were each ordered to pay SPCA and veterinary expenses of $151.00.
Both Turner and Beckham were disqualified from owning or exercising control over any species of animal for an indefinite period. References
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