Puppy ‘savagely’ beaten in back of car

Floyd when he was taken away by police and Floyd now, looking happier and healthier.

A Hamilton man who savagely beat a four-month-old puppy and neglected his injuries has been sentenced to community detention.

Ezekiel Wilson, 28, was convicted in the Hamilton District Court on three charges: one charge of failing to ensure that an ill or injured animal received treatment that alleviated any unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress being suffered by the animal, and two charges of ill-treatment of an animal causing the animal to suffer unreasonable and unnecessary pain or distress.

He was sentenced to four months' community detention, 200 hours community work, disqualified from owning animals for 4 years and ordered to pay reparations of $566.74 and a contribution towards legal costs of $600.

The case began at about 9am on June 16, 2016, when two people saw the defendant beating his four-month-old bulldog cross puppy, Floyd, in the back of a Subaru Impreza station wagon in the Westfield Chartwell car park.

The witnesses say they saw the defendant shaking and choking Floyd, hurling him against the side of the vehicle, and punching him with a closed fist at full force at least 10 times in the abdomen.

Both witnesses confronted the defendant and one of them telephoned the police.

The defendant complained that Floyd had defecated in his car and drove off before the police arrived.

At about 1pm on the same day, police received a call from a member of the public reporting that the defendant was mistreating a puppy at a house in Hamilton East. The witness said the defendant had held Floyd in the air by his hind leg before dragging it by the leg into the house. He had been yelling and swearing at Floyd, and Floyd had been screaming and yelping.

When police attended the defendant's property at approximately 1.15pm, they found Floyd in the foot well of the passenger side of a vehicle parked in the driveway. He cowered and shivered with a fearful demeanor, and when the defendant was asked to bring Floyd out and let him stand, he had trouble standing on his rear legs and looked weak and distressed with his head hung low.

When questioned, the defendant claimed that he had been washing Floyd as he had defecated in his car, but admitted he had grabbed Floyd by one front leg. He explained that Floyd had an injured leg from about two weeks previously, when someone had accidentally stood on him.

The police took Floyd into their possession and transported him directly to SPCA Waikato and into the custody of an SPCA Inspector who arranged for him to be assessed by a veterinarian.

Veterinary examination and x-rays revealed that Floyd was lame on its left hind leg, with obvious swelling of the left stifle (knee) joint. X-rays showed a distal femoral fracture with lots of joint effusion, indicating that the injury had occurred at least three to four weeks earlier. X-rays taken of the thorax area revealed three fractured ribs on the right side.

The veterinarian concluded that the fractured left hind leg was caused by a trauma of considerable force, and that the leg would have been significantly more swollen at the time of injury. Along with the lameness, this should have been apparent to the owner, and veterinary treatment should have been sought immediately to alleviate considerable pain.

The fractured ribs were consistent with considerable blunt trauma to the thorax, and would have caused a significant degree of pain and distress.

When interviewed the defendant admitted he had been aware of the Floyd's injured leg but lacked the money to take him to the vet. He downplayed the beating in the Westfield car park, claiming that he merely 'gave the puppy a bit of a slap”.

'This is a horrifying case of unrestrained violence being inflicted by a grown man on a defenceless, innocent puppy,” says Andrea Midgen, SPCA New Zealand CEO (Acting).

'The one bright point in this awful story is the willingness of members of the public to front up to the offender and call the police. They saw something wrong and by their brave actions saved an innocent puppy from a miserable life of cruelty and abuse. The SPCA would like to thank them all hugely.

'Our Inspectors are on call and on the road every day of the year but we can't be everywhere and see everything. So we urge Kiwis to keep their eyes peeled for instances of animal abuse and neglect.

'If you see anyone abusing or neglecting animals, or suspect animal abuse is taking place, please call your local SPCA or the NZ Police for help.”

The good news is that Floyd (now named Flynn) has since recovered well, and he has now been adopted to a new loving family.

-SPCA

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8 comments

Don't you just want...

Posted on 12-05-2017 14:21 | By morepork

... someone to give HIM "a bit of a slap"...


Good news

Posted on 12-05-2017 15:14 | By Border Patrol

..that the perpetrator has been convicted for this appalling abuse.I can never comprehend the type of person who can inflict cruelty on animals. Well done everyone involved who helped rescue Flynn- it's also great to see he has now found his forever home with a loving family.


Couldn't read that story with a dry eye

Posted on 12-05-2017 15:36 | By Papamoaner

28 year old mongrel only got a light sentence. I say bring back public street labourers in shackles and chains so we can all have a wee chat to them as we pass by.


Irrepearable damage?

Posted on 12-05-2017 16:11 | By Papamoaner

Left photo says it all. Ears down, tail wrapped under body. He's terrified. Unfortunately it might already be too late for him to ever trust humans again. Then if he gets frightened and bites someone in later life, he gets the blame. Hence irrepearable damage because the memory might always remain in his background. Very sad.


So that's all he gets ..

Posted on 12-05-2017 17:03 | By Linaire

After inflicting horrific and unrestrained violence on this little dog, he gets no more than a slap on the wrist! A bit of community service, a small pathetic $1,000 fine, and disqualified from owing animals for four years? Why isn't he disqualified from owning an animal FOREVER! Thank god I was not the judge, because he would have got a far greater punishment than that!


Low life excuse for a human being!

Posted on 12-05-2017 21:19 | By Ben Dover

What a pathetic sentence for a moron like him. Not even banned for life for having animals but only for 4 years. At least in prison he may have been given a bit of his own medicine.


I sincerely hope....

Posted on 13-05-2017 12:39 | By GreertonBoy

This guy doesn't have any children..... please. I don't know how anyone could beat a small puppy, or any animal for that matter... if he didn't like or want to keep the puppy, give him away.... someone would have cared for him? People are out of control these days, it seems, I honestly fear for the future of the world...... I hope Floyd finds a nice human to look after him and that the loser who near killed him has karma bite him on the 'you know what'....


Here's an idea.

Posted on 13-05-2017 16:57 | By morepork

We see too much of this. But you won't stop it with harsher punishments. I agree with Linaire and others that people who do this should be banned for LIFE; they've shown they are totally unfit to be partners with animals. But, what if the perpetrators were sentenced to so many hours of voluntary work AT THE SPCA (who, Lord knows, can use some help...), and they are not allowed to own ANY animal UNTIL THE SPCA says they have proper attitude, understanding of the responsibility and can show they have changed their minds? Some time doing the less desirable jobs that are part of animal husbandry (might be less upset about the car seat being messed up and actually learn how to clean it), being around people and animals who obviously love each other, and contributing to SPCA's noble mission, might just have an effect...


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