Man fined $1000 for animal cruelty

A 52-YEAR-OLD man was fined $1000 yesterday for “slamming” his 13-year-old dog on the ground at a local shopping centre earlier this year.
Appearing in Noosa Magistrates court on Tuesday, Shane William White pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty.
The court heard that on 27 February, about 2pm, White travelled on public transport from Mountain Creek to the shopping centre, carrying his 13-year-old poodle-cross ‘Bobo’ in his backpack.
White entered the food court at the shopping centre with his backpack partially open, with enough space for Bobo’s head to stick out for air.
Local police said witnesses saw White begin to struggle to push the dog’s head into the bag while in the food court, before zipping it closed, lifting the bag a metre high and throwing it to the ground, causing the dog to yelp.
Witnesses who heard the yelp came to the dog’s aid, with one approaching White saying he couldn’t do that to an animal.
The police were called to the shopping centre and took the backpack and dog to Noosa Heads station.
After assessing Bobo, Police found the dog to be in need of water and already blind due to cataracts, but uninjured as a result of the events on 27 February.
The dog was taken to the RSPCA by police, where it was later euthanased through the choice of the owner.
In his statement to the court, White’s defence lawyer said White’s grief from losing his wife, mother and father, was likely to have influenced his actions.
“The defendant was the former carer of his wife who was very seriously ill for 13 years before he lost her six years ago,” he said.
“He has also suffered significant grief following this with his father passing two years ago and then his mother eight months ago.”
Magistrate Andrew Cridland described the incident as a “low-end” act of animal cruelty. White was fined $1000 for the offence. No conviction was recorded.