An Aranui man has admitted kicking and punching his two dogs during a visit to a park in New Brighton.
John Noel Taukiri’s treatment of the dogs while he was drunk led to members of the public calling the police.
Taukiri, 44, pleaded guilty to the charge of ill-treating the dogs, just before his trial was due to begin at the Christchurch District Court yesterday.
The offence occurred on September 8 when he had the two dogs at the playground in Marine Parade. Judge David Saunders said members of the public were disgusted at what they saw and called the police.
Taukiri had tied the dogs to a handrail at the public toilets by the time police arrived, and he told them he was trying to separate the dogs fighting each other.
The witnesses at the park told the police that there was no fight between the dogs.
Defence counsel Grant Tyrrell said the dogs were seen by a veterinarian after the incident and they were both in good health.
Judge Saunders said Taukiri had a previous history of violence but none of cruelty to animals. He said Taukiri had appeared in court every year for several years for various offending.
He sentenced him to 140 hours community work, $155 reparation to the SPCA for the care of the dogs, $75 reparation to be shared by the three witnesses who turned up for the trial, and disqualified him from owning animals for three years.
Taukiri, who was muttering, “Sorry about that Judge,” all through the sentencing was warned that he would have to sustain good behaviour in the community, and complete his community work, before he could apply in three years to have care of animals again.
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