Man who chained dog to clothesline in heat sentenced

2 May 2022

A 20-year-old man, whose dog was found deceased and chained to a clothesline with no water or adequate shade in 32-degree heat, has been fined $4500.

The offender, who failed to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on Friday, was also banned from owning animals for one year, and ordered to pay $349.09 in court costs and compensation to the RSPCA.

On 5 December last year, RSPCA WA received a cruelty report in relation to a two-year-old Bull Mastiff cross-type dog named Buddy. The chain and empty water bowl at the Cloverdale property.

When the inspector arrived at the Cloverdale home, she found the dog deceased, lying on the ground at the end of a chain attached to a Hills hoist.

There was no adequate shade within reach of the chain’s length and the only water bowl was empty.

A post-mortem was conducted but, due to the deteriorated state of Buddy’s body, a cause of death could not be determined.

RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said the case was a tragic reminder that our animals were highly vulnerable and relied on us for their every need.

‘This was an extremely distressing situation for our inspector to walk into, and a terrible way for poor Buddy to go,’ she said.

‘Sometimes we feel like a broken record reminding pet owners about the heat, but clearly the message is still not sinking in for some people.

‘Pets must have ample shelter from the heat and unlimited access to clean water.

‘I’m glad we were able to secure a verdict for Buddy and send a message to this owner. We do not want any more animals suffering and dying like this.’

The RSPCA relies on the community to report incidents of suspected cruelty and neglect. Report cruelty 24/7 on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 358) or online here.

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