The owner acknowledged her pomeranian dog had sprained or bruised the bone badly and she would have been in pain. (File pic) Photo: 123RF
A pomeranian breeder has been prosecuted in Nelson for failing to provide appropriate care for her injured dog.
The woman's two-year-old dog, Joy, which had recently had puppies, was found to have a fractured leg after a vet examination was requested by a prospective puppy purchaser.
The dog owner said the injury had happened when Joy jumped off a chair three weeks earlier. Instead of seeking instant veterinary treatment, the woman applied a toilet roll splint to the dog's leg.
The veterinarian gave the dog pain relief and instructed the woman to return with her dog for re-examination two weeks later, but when she failed to show up, the dog was seized through a search warrant.
SPCA interim chief executive Robyn Kiddle said the dog suffered from lameness and had an abnormal gait. Her pain and the incorrect healing of the joint were completely avoidable.
When interviewed, the woman acknowledged Joy had sprained or bruised the bone badly and she would have been in pain.
Joy had three-week-old puppies at the time of the injury, so she had been kept in her crate with her puppies.
The woman admitted she had not sought veterinary treatment and had instead made a splint for Joy's leg by putting a bandage and toilet roll firmly around it.
"This is unacceptable and any animal owner - breeder or not - should seek appropriate health care for their animal in accordance with veterinary advice. In this instance, the advice was clear and it was ignored, causing ongoing suffering," Kiddle said.
The woman was ordered to forfeit the dog to the SPCA, was fined $300 and ordered to pay $150 in court costs and $1001 in reparation.