Animal attacks are ‘horrifying’: police

By Sarah Schwager
POLICE have stressed the importance of treating pets with respect to curb the number of recent incidents of cruelty towards animals.
Senior Constable David Measham from Cranbourne CIU said the recent attacks were horrifying and has warned pet owners to take extra caution.
Recent incidents include toxic items such as rat poison being thrown over fences, stone throwing and taunts using sticks and loud noises.
Veterinary nurse Natasha Miller from Animal Care Cranbourne Veterinary Clinic said any pain inflicted on an animal or causing injury on purpose constituted cruelty.
“It can be very hard sometimes. If an animal is injured we have to be careful as we are bound by the legal side of it just like a doctor,” Ms Miller said.
“If we believe someone has been cruel to an animal we are limited to what we can do. It is much like cruelty to children. It is very hard to prove.”
Ms Miller said the most important thing was educating pet owners and encouraging them to educate their children about the dangers animals faced.
Thompson Road Small Animal Clinic veterinarian Meredith McDonald said injuries inflicted by the owners’ children were a regular occurrence.
Last week a puppy was brought into the clinic with a broken leg after the owner’s three-year-old son threw a rock at it.
“Children certainly can inflict damage on smaller animals – particularly younger children – like dropping things on them, dropping the animals themselves, or standing on them,” she said.
“We get about two or three a year, so this does need a lot of education. A lot of the time the kids won’t own up to it.”
In a shocking incident in Cranbourne, a Maltese shi-tsu called Sammy was found drowned in a bucket of water.
Christine Cooper was distraught after finding her two-year-old dog floating in water in their backyard at 11.30am on 27 October.
She and husband Roy Cooper said the incident followed a barrage of attacks on the dog, including rat poison being thrown over the fence, taunting by local children, dead birds being thrown into the backyard and the family receiving prank calls.
“I just don’t know whether it was an accident or not. I can’t see how someone could do such a cruel thing,” Mrs Cooper said.
She said Sammy was always kept locked inside at night and they had had no trouble with their neighbours.
She could not understand why someone would bait the dog with rat poison, and said she and her husband were still receiving hang up calls after Sammy had died.
“He was such a precious dog to us,” Mrs Cooper said.
“I was at home at the time in the lounge room vacuuming when he went out back.
“I later went to put a rug on the line to give it an airing and that’s when I found him in the bucket.
“The next door neighbour heard me screaming and quickly ran around.
“I’ve got a bad injury to my arm so he got him out and tried pumping his tummy, but he said ‘no, he’s gone’. It’s just so hard.”
Sen Const Measham urged anyone who knew anything about the incident to call him on 5991 0661.
If anyone witnesses a case of animal abuse they should contact the RSPCA or the police.
People can also call Animal Liberation NSW if they want to remain anonymous to report any instances of animal cruelty or neglect on 1800 751 770.