A warrant has been issued to arrest a woman charged with leaving her 11-month-old puppy to starve, after she failed to appear at court today.
Paulette Taki, 40, was due to be sentenced at Auckland District Court today on three animal cruelty charges after SPCA officers found a dog locked underneath a house on Christmas Eve.
But Taki did not turn up as scheduled, and a warrant for her arrest was issued as a result.
Auckland SPCA lawyer Jo Wickliffe said Taki had yet to appear at court as scheduled.
"That's four times out of four that she hasn't shown up."
Taki faces charges including failing to provide the dog, known as Eve, with protection from significant injury and disease.
The dog looked like a carcass when found and apparently survived by eating her own faeces at the home in Glen Innes, a suburb 10km east of downtown Auckland .
SPCA inspector Todd Neal, who removed Eve from the property last year, said he was disappointed the case had not been concluded.
"She's clearly reluctant to face up to her responsibility as a dog owner," Mr Neal said outside the court.
"Thankfully Eve's now in a good home. It's dog heaven really -- if anything she's overweight now."
NZPA