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Wellington man let his beloved pet stay too long and the dog had to be euthanized. (File photo)
Harley, a 15 year old dog, was his beloved pet, and he knew it would be just bad news taking him to the vet.
The Wellington man, whose name is unknown, was charged with neglecting the health and welfare of his old buddy after police searched his property and ascertained the condition of the old dog on an unrelated matter.
Harley, a Staffordshire Terrier cross, has been diagnosed with arthritis, with elbow problems from immobility, various lumps on his body, and ulcers on his scrotum.
His prognosis was poor and the dog had to be euthanized.
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On Friday, Wellington District Court Judge Peter Hobbs said he accepted that the man was not indifferent or callous in his treatment and had no intention of harming the dog or causing him to suffer willfully.
“You said you owned a lot of dogs, were close to Harley and loved him and would have done something for him if you had known,” said the judge.
He told the man that the most compassionate thing would have been to put the dog to sleep.
“You essentially delayed the inevitable.”
The judge said the violation was not a result of numbness, but rather a close relationship with the dog and a desire to keep him in his life.
Simon O’Connor / stuff
The dog’s owner was asked to pay $ 200 to the SPCA.
Judge Hobbs said the dog had a warming pad to sleep on and had been rubbed to improve mobility.
He upheld the man’s petition for dismissal without conviction on the grounds that it would harm him to have jobs with an animal welfare fee on his file, for example. He also asked him to pay $ 200 to the SPCA.
The man’s attorney, Julia Spiers, said he tried to make the most of his time with Harley.