Dog placed on death row after Auckland attack saved after court appeal

A dog sentenced to death after it left from a property and assaulted another dog at an Auckland park has actually been saved after its owner effectively appealed the choice in the High Court.

Robert Telford, owner of a 12-year-old Staffordshire Terrier, Suki, was initially released without conviction at the Auckland District Court after Suki assaulted another dog on April 18, 2021 at Waterview Park.

Telford was released since the legal charge for the attack, a $3000 fine, would be “out of all proportion to Mr Telford’s offending”.

He then appealed Suki’s case to the High Court.

The summary of realities said that Suki – who Telford said suffered “doggy dementia” – unexpectedly ran towards another dog at Waterview Park, got it by the throat and locked on.

“Charlie [the other dog] was yelping,” the summary said.

An onlooker and the other dog’s owner got Suki to let go, prior to Suki assaulted once again.

The spectator ultimately locked Suki in a neighboring public toilet and animal management took her.

The other dog had several leak injuries and was required to the veterinarian and kept there overnight.

Telford, his family and Suki had actually just relocated to their property 5 days previously.

Telford said he’d inspected the security of his brand-new property prior to letting Suki hang around in the backyard.

It was revealed Suki struggled with separation stress and anxiety and she had actually left while he and his family were out.

He said Suki’s behaviour was “totally out of character”, the summary said, which there had actually never ever been any grievances about Suki in the past.

Telford informed the court an animal control handler informed him he had actually felt bad when he captured Suki, who looked “really scared” at the time.

Telford likewise informed the court the handler had actually inspected his property and commented that “the property was more secure than what he often sees”.

“The council are representing Suki as [an] ‘aggressive/territorial dog’ – this is simply not true,” Telford said.

“She has never before run away or bitten another animal or human,” he said.

Suki has actually given that been placed on anti-depressants and her veterinarian wished to see her for senile cognitive dysfunction, otherwise called “doggy dementia”, Telford said.

High Court Justice Sally Fitzgerald considered the truth Suki had actually never ever assaulted another animal or individual and “this tends to suggest… Suki does not present a danger to the public”.

Justice Fitzgerald likewise considered Telford had actually gained from the occurrence and was keeping Suki muzzled whenever out and about, keeping her within while he was away, and was being dealt with for doggy dementia.

Justice Fitzgerald quashed the order to destroy Suki.