41-year-old woman charged with abusing puppy in Perth’s northern suburbs

A 41-year-old woman from Heathridge has been convicted of animal cruelty after deliberately physically abusing a six-month-old puppy outside a cafe.

She was sentenced last Friday with a $5000 fine, a five-year ban on owning or caring for animals, and ordered to pay $2434 in legal costs after being found guilty of abusing and ill-treating the puppy.

The distressing incident occurred last August and was reported to the RSPCA by witnesses.

According to the RSPCA, the offender was seen screaming obscenities, including “you stupid f...ing mutt”, at the puppy, Prince, when he failed to follow her.

She then grabbed the dog’s tail and lifted him off the ground to hip-height.

Cafe staff and patrons began yelling at the offender to let him go, after which she dropped Prince onto the brick pavement.

The puppy landed on his neck and stayed on the ground for about two minutes, cowering and holding his paws up to his face as the offender stood over him in an intimidating manner.

The offender then grabbed Prince by three of his legs, causing him to yelp in pain, lifted him to hip-height and dropped him onto the brick paving a second time.

The RSPCA said she then tried to pick Prince up but he reacted with fear, kicking and nipping at her hand, before she flung him under her arm and walked toward a nearby home.

RSPCA WA inspectors attended the woman’s home, where they found Prince showing signs of distress and fear.

They seized him over suspected offences under the Animal Welfare Act. Subsequent veterinary examinations confirmed trauma, with pain in multiple areas and enzyme levels suggesting muscle injury.

In sentencing the 41-year-old, Magistrate Evan Shackleton described the offending as “clearly deliberate”.

“The vulnerability of this animal is high; in particular, the offender was someone the dog was known to and thus less likely to run away from,” Mr Shackleton said.

Prince remains in foster care as he recovers.

The woman is the fifth person in WA to be prosecuted for dog and puppy beatings since December 2024, with five more cases still before the courts.

Since July 1, the RSPCA has received 345 malicious beating/wounding cruelty complaints, up 43.2 per cent on the same period last year.

A total of 434 malicious beating and wounding complaints were received in 2024-25 and 412 in 2023-24, up from 311 in 2022-23.

RSPCA WA Inspector Manager Kylie Green said the rising number of deliberate cruelty cases was alarming.

“There has been a sharp increase in the number of beatings and other abuse reported to us, most of them involving puppies,” Ms Green said.

“Animals are living, feeling beings who don’t always behave how you want them to, especially when they’re young and have not been exposed to positive and effective training.

“To see a growing number of offences where people respond to perceived ‘bad behaviour’ with violence is reprehensible.”

Anyone who sees or suspects animal cruelty is urged to report it on 1300 278 358 or online at rspcawa.org.au.