Two barbaric attacks on pet goats over the weekend has the SPCA warning of an increase in serious animal abuse.
The goat attacks happened in rural Franklin, South of Auckland, and police are close to making an arrest.
Down in Hawke’s Bay another grim discovery this morning – a dead dog washed up close to a local surf club.
The SPCA says it has no idea why cruelty is on the rise but warns it will prosecute.
Raylene Whiteside, the goat’s owner, was incensed by the people who killed her goat.
“I think they are sick, cruel, sadistic cowards,” she says.
Bubble and Squeak, bought nine years ago, were much loved family pets.
Bubble is alive today but Squeak was tethered to the towbar of a car and forced to run behind it. When she could run no longer she was dragged for several kilometres behind the vehicle.
Some of the photos of Squeak’s remains are so disturbing that we have not been able to publish them.
There was another similar attack on a goat in the same night – Animal Welfare is appalled.
“I mean, I don’t know. I’d just like to know what is going through their minds. Why do they do that to an innocent animal that was minding its own business,” says an Animal Welfare representative.
These two cases are representative of a recent spike in animal abuse. A Hawke’s Bay dog, “Star”, was lucky to survive being dragged 50 metres by a four-wheel drive.
However, she still had to have her back feet amputated.
The SPCA’s David Lloyd Barker says jail is the only place for people who do this.
“I hope it doesn’t get to epidemic proportions – I really do. I hope we can basically show people that if they do these things they will be in front of a judge. They will be in front of a court and hopefully they will be put behind bars,” he says.
Police say they are close to catching those responsible for the two goat killings. If convicted, it is likely they would be sent to prison.