A dog owner in New Zealand has been sentenced to two months’ jail time for overfeeding her pet dog that eventually led to death.
Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) reveals that the woman pleaded guilty for failing to meet the dog’s needs that led to the dog’s death.
Along with two months’ jail, sshe was ordered to pay reparations of NZ$1,222.15 ($718 USD) and was not allowed to own a dog for a year.
The dog, named Nuggi, weighed 53.7kg (118lbs) when he was rescued by SPCA in October 2021.
Nuggi’s former owner told SPCA that she fed Nuggi 8 to 10 pieces of chicken daily, on top of dog treats. She also said that she exercised Nuggi by walking him or making him spend time on her property outside.
SPCA Chief Executive Todd Westwood called Nuggi’s predicament “unacceptable”.
“Part of being a responsible dog owner is providing your pet with an appropriate diet and daily exercise, which was clearly not the case here,” Westwood explained. “Nuggi was being drastically overfed, and instead of seeking help or amending the behaviour, his owner continued to overfeed him until he could barely walk.”
SPCA said that when Nuggi was removed from his home, animal control officers noted that “in the 10 metres that Nuggi had to walk from the property to the car, he had to stop three times to catch his breath.”
They also said that Nuggi was so obese that they couldn’t hear his heart beat with a stethoscope, because the sound couldn’t penetrate all the fat in his body.
Along with obesity, Nuggi was also suffering from other health problems. His legs were visibly collapsing under his huge weight, his nails were overgrown, he had a lot of skin tags, and he also had conjunctivitis.
SPCA Chief Executive Todd Westwood described Nuggi as “easily one of the most obese animals we’ve ever encountered”.
He said that SPCA inspectors and staff who were used to dealing with overweight and obese animals were shocked to see Nuggi’s condition.
“Sadly, we see animals on a daily basis that are underweight, starved or malnourished, but it’s equally heartbreaking to see a helpless animal that’s been severely overfed,” Westwood says.
SPCA said that Nuggi spent a total of two months in their care. He lost a total of 8.9kg (19kg) before suddenly dying due to an acute hemorrhage from a ruptured mass on his liver.
“A necropsy revealed further health complications, including liver disease and Cushing’s disease,” SPCA reveals.