CRUELTY TO A DOG

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1943, 22 February 1919, Page 3

CRUELTY TO A DOG

PINNED TO THE EARTH WITH A FORK. . At the local S.M. Court yesterday, before Mr Page, S.M., an elderly man named James Perry was charged by the police that on January 26th, at Foxton, he did wilfully torture an animal, to \yit a dog, by pinning it to the ground with a hay fork. Acetified, who is an employee at the -Family Hotel, said he heard a dog among the fowls in the fowl yard. He went to drive it out, and it turned on him. He pinned it to the ground with a fork in self defence. It was a small dog —a cross between a pug and a terrier. The fowls had been .frightened, and several were lying dead ip the yard. John Broad, owner of the dog, said it was a small animal, veryquiet, and about 10 months old. It would noQtackle any one. Was not present when the dog was killed. He offered to pay for any fowls that it was alleged the dog had killed, hut none were produced. He had not had any complaint about the dog. The dog had probably gone to feed on the bones and meat thrown in the fowl yard. K. McGregor, a native, said he was on the river bank on the day in question, a short distance from the fowl yard. Heard a dog howling, and saw it pinned to the ground with a fork. Accused asked him to kill the dog, which he did. Accused did not complain that the dog had been killing the fowls, and didn’t see any dead fowls about the yard. Accused said the dog would he ahout three or four years old. It bristled and showed its teeth, and accused said lie charged it. Recalled, Broad said the dog was about 10 mouths old, and had been among fowls, hut had never worried them. Constable Woods described the injuries to (he dog. There were fork marks through its shoulder and neck.

The S.M. ■commented upon Die cruel method of accused in attempting to dispatch the dog, and fined him £3 and costs 17s.