Friday, June 08, 2007
Chien pendu
Starved dog found hanged from tree
An animal welfare inspector in New Zealand says years of experience did not prepare him for the sight of a dog which had been starved and then hanged from a tree.
SPCA inspector Kevin Plowright was called to a plot of council land on Norrie-Smith Road in Manukau after a member of the public spotted the dog which had been hanged from a gum tree.
When Mr Plowright arrived someone had cut down the light tan mastiff-cross, and it was lying at the base of the tree.
The dog was extremely skinny and covered in sores, and had been hanged by a rope attached to its collar.
"What is even more horrifying is that there were scratch marks on the trunk of the tree which indicated that the dog, despite being close to death from starvation, had put up a valiant struggle for some time before dying," Mr Plowright said.
He said he had seen a lot of horrible things during his career but this was particularly sickening.
"We want to find the culprits and bring them to justice. It's the least we can do for this poor dog."
Mr Plowright spoke to people living nearby but nobody had seen anything. Anyone with information about the crime could contact the SPCA.