How a $5,000 puppy sale led to the exposure of a horror web of animal cruelty involving 39 Labradoodles living in a man’s squalid home — as he faces a series of charges
- Breeder is not allowed to keep animals for 40 years
- 39 labradoodles were discovered living in the dirt
- RSPCA inspectors assessed the dogs last year
A 60-year-old man has been banned from raising animals after 39 Labradoodles were found living in the dirt in his home.
A member of the public raised the alarm after she went to his home in southwest Western Australia to buy a puppy for $5,000, then refused to go through with the sale after seeing the dogs’ living conditions .
RSPCA inspectors seized all 39 dogs from the man’s Bridgetown home in January last year.
The RSPCA said an inspector found filthy, filthy conditions, with large piles of rubbish, dogs barking and fighting, a stench of urine and faeces, and older dogs with matted coats and faeces in their fur.
Puppies hid in puddles of urine while larger dogs insisted on them, the organization said.
A 60-year-old man has been banned from keeping pets for 40 years after 39 labradoodles were found filthy, with puppies hidden in puddles of urine, according to the RSPCA (pictured)
The RSPCA said some animals were lethargic and unresponsive while one dog was trapped on the edge of a bed. Another was seen drinking stagnant water from a broken sewer pipe
Some of the animals were lethargic and unresponsive, while a dog was trapped on the edge of a bed. Another was seen drinking stagnant water from a broken sewer pipe.
No fresh food or water was available and many had medical conditions, according to the RSPCA, including ear infections, conjunctivitis, embedded grass seeds, weight problems and dental disease.
RSPCA WA inspector manager Kylie Green said many of the animals suffered significant psychological damage.
“Some of them stood in their kennels for weeks after they first came here, staring at the wall and refusing to interact with each other,” she said in a statement.
“It’s a credit to our knowledgeable staff and network of dedicated foster carers that they’ve come as far as they’ve got, but here’s what people should stop and consider when they’re looking for a “cute” puppy.”
The man, who was sentenced by Bunbury Magistrates Court on Wednesday, ran a breeding operation to cash in on labradoodles’ popularity, the RSPCA said.
According to the RSPCA, fresh food or water was not available and many had medical conditions including ear infections, conjunctivitis, embedded grass seeds, weight problems and dental disease.
The perpetrator pleaded guilty to 28 animal cruelty charges and was fined $112,000
He was not allowed to own any animal for 40 years, with the exception of up to three sterilized dogs.
The man, who pleaded guilty to 28 counts of animal cruelty, was also fined $112,000, though the $64,000 payment was suspended for two years.
The RSPCA urged people to think about where they bought pets and warned that otherwise they risk supporting animal cruelty.