SPCA prosecutes woman over morbidly obese dog

The defendant was sentenced at Manukau District Court to two months imprisonment.

The dog, named Nuggi, came into SPCA’s care in October 2021 after a search warrant was carried out at the woman’s Manurewa property by Police. A number of dogs, including Nuggi, were removed from the property and taken to an Auckland Council animal shelter.

Animal control officers noted that in the 10 metres that Nuggi had to walk from the property to the car, he had to stop three times to catch his breath. They also said his legs appeared to be collapsing under the weight of his huge body.

Later that day, Nuggi was taken to SPCA’s Māngere Centre where he was assessed by a veterinarian. He weighed 53.7kg and was so obese that it wasn’t possible to hear his heart with a stethoscope because the sound couldn’t penetrate the fat. His nails were overgrown, and he had lots of skin tags, particularly on areas of contact such as his belly and elbows. Nuggi also had conjunctivitis.

SPCA Chief Executive Todd Westwood says Nuggi’s condition was a huge shock to SPCA Inspectors and staff, who’re used to dealing with animals at the opposite end of the weight scale.

“Nuggi was easily one of the most obese animals we’ve ever encountered. He was so enormous that he could hardly walk and he was clearly suffering as a result of the significant amount of weight he was carrying.

“Sadly, we see animals on a daily basis that are underweight, starved or malnourished, but it’s equally heartbreaking to see a helpless animal that’s been severely overfed,” Mr Westwood says.

The veterinarian noted that Nuggi struggled to move around, had difficulty breathing, was unable to cope with warm weather and was overall fatigued. She concluded that due to the extra weight Nuggi was carrying, he would have suffered severe long-term discomfort and distress.

The defendant told SPCA’s Inspectors that she fed Nuggi 8-10 pieces of chicken daily, plus additional dog biscuits. She said she exercised him by walking him or making him spend time on the property outside.

“Part of being a responsible dog owner is providing your pet with an appropriate diet and daily exercise, which was clearly not the case here. Nuggi was being drastically overfed, and instead of seeking help or amending the behaviour, his owner continued to overfeed him until he could barely walk. This is unacceptable,” says Mr Westwood.

Nuggi spent around two months in SPCA’s care, where he lost 8.9kg - around 16.5 percent of his body weight. Sadly, despite making progress with his weight loss, Nuggi died suddenly due to an acute haemorrhage from a ruptured mass on his liver. A necropsy revealed further health complications, including liver disease and Cushing’s disease.

The defendant was ordered to pay reparations of $1,222.15 and disqualified from owning dogs for 12 months.