Thieves leave pet to die

By Alison Noonan
THIEVES brutally attacked two dogs before ransacking a home in Cranbourne.
One dog, a twoyearold jack russell, was left to die while the other, a 15yearold pit bull cross rhodesian ridgeback, suffered broken bones during the horrific beating.
The dogs’ owner, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said she was out with friends on the night of Saturday 8 October when she received a call that one of her dogs had been seriously injured.
“My sister, who lives down my street, rang me and told me Jessie (the dog) was at her place and to come home quickly,” she said.
“I raced over to find Jessie’s face had been kicked in, her ribs broken and one of her back legs broken.
“She must have got out of my yard and staggered down to my sister’s house.
“I was horrified. Just dumbfounded.”
The pregnant young mother of two said she rushed her beloved pet to a nearby vet clinic.
“Jessie is a tough dog. She’s the best dog I’ve ever had.
“She saved my daughter’s life when she was two years old. She was drowning in a pool and Jessie dragged her out,” she said.
She returned home from the vet a short time later, shaken and upset, to a scene of utter destruction.
Anything that hadn’t been stolen was smashed or destroyed, she said, with her bathroom sledgehammered, her waterbed pierced, the kids’ pool and trampoline slashed and even the freezer emptied.
“The televisions, kids’ video games and DVD player had been smashed.
“They took my computer, digital camera, video camera, clothes, toys, jewellery, my engagement ring and even my food.
“What they didn’t take they broke,” she said.
However, the most grizzly discovery came when she found her jack russell, Rusty, lying limp and delirious in the backyard.
He died from internal injuries a few days later.
“His jaw had been broken and his tail broken. He had received some pretty big head hits and was in a pretty bad way.
“I just can’t believe someone would do something like this to an animal.
“It breaks my heart,” she said.
She said the attack had left her stressed and anxious, causing her to break out in shingles and placing a strain on her unborn baby.
“I went for an ultra sound and for a while they couldn’t find a heart beat for the baby.
“The whole thing has just destroyed me. This is the second time in four years I have been broken into.
“The first time I could replace the things they took but this time it’s just ridiculous,” she said.
She said she would be forced to move her family into a women’s refuge as she could no longer afford to remain in her house.
“I’ve got nowhere else to go. I’m not in a financial position to recover.
“I couldn’t even afford contents insurance and there is no way I will be able to keep up with the repayments. I struggled as it was,” she said.
Despite her devastating ordeal, she vowed to battle on.
“I’m a strong person and I’m not going to let anything keep me down.”
Cranbourne Criminal Investigation Unit is investigating the incident and has called for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Detective Senior Constable Rod Maroney on 5995 4577.