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  4. 10 Year Ban Handed Down to Canberra…

A 26 year old local Canberra woman has been convicted and sentenced under the Animal Welfare Act (1992) for failure to provide food, water and veterinary treatment for two dogs under her care.

In October 2014, RSPCA ACT Inspectors received a complaint about the condition of two dogs. At the location a brown male Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a tan and white male Bullmastiff cross were found in the rear of the property which was full of rubbish, debris and was devoid of any access to water for the dogs.

The Staffordshire was thin with his ribs visible whilst the Bullmastiff’s ribs and spine were clearly visible. The Bullmastiff had blood on his coat, with the blood coming from the tip of his tail which was split.

The animals were seized by RSPCA ACT Inspectors. Both animals were examined by RSPCA ACT Veterinarians. A few days later, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier began to vomit blood and metallic particles.  He was rushed into surgery where it wasrevealed that he had ingested numerous various metallic substances including six fish hooks.  It required two surgeries to remove all of the pieces. RSPCA ACT Veterinarians concluded that given the poor state of the animal, his hunger may have driven him to ingest the hooks. The Bullmastiff was also examined and was found to have a roundworm infection as well as being severely underweight.

The owner of the two dogs, Jessie Akers, was sentenced in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday and was issued with a $123 fine, 12 month good behaviour order and was banned from owning, acquiring, purchasing or possessing any animal for 10 years.
Senior Inspector Catherine Croatto was satisfied with the outcome of the case, “Animal ownership bans send a strong message to the community that animal cruelty and neglect are being treated seriously by RSPCA ACT Inspectors and the courts. RSPCA are not always successful in obtaining these bans. However, the severity of this case certainly warranted it.”

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