THROWN OVERBOARD

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 116, 2 February 1918, Page 10

THROWN OVERBOARD

CRUEL TREATMENT OF A DOG. Before Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday Andrew Baxter, a deck hand on the s.s. Cobar, was: charged with ill-treating a dog. Mrs. Ellen Watson, of Rata Road, Hataitai, stated that site was a. passenger ou January 23 on the s.s. Cobar, bound from Rona Bay to Wellington. She saw a fox terrier on board, the animal came close to her, and, she saw the defendant catch hold of the dog by the neck and the middle of tho back and deliberately throw it overboard. ITie vessel was then 1$ to 2 miles from land. Iti was a very windy day, and tho sea was very rough. The dog at first swain towards the boat, and then turned to swim towards the shore. Witness could seo the dog being buffeted about by the waves. The defendant m giving evidence said that his orders were to put all dogs off the boat. Ho caught the dog in question and took it towards the forecastle, when it escaped, and on getting near it again it snapped at him, and it was not given a second/chance to make a bite at him, for lie caught it by the neck and threw it overboard. That was not more than ten minutes after leaving Rona Bay. When he got back to Rona Bay at ,7 p.m. tbe dog was on the wharf.

The Magistrate said to defendant: "You have no business, and your captain has no business, to order you to throw a dog overboard. There is a proper way of dispatching a dog without causing unnecessary cruelty." Defendant was convicted and fined £2 and co:-ts. The information was laid by the S.P.C.A., for whom Mr. H. H. Cornish appeared.