An Auckland woman whose dog was so obese he could barely move has pleaded guilty over failing to meet the animal’s physical, health and behavioural needs.
The dog, named Nuggi, weighed 53.7kg when he came into the SPCA’s care in October 2021, after police carried out a search warrant at the woman’s Manurewa property.
Several dogs from the property were taken to a shelter by animal control officers. Inspectors were told Nuggi was fed 8-10 pieces of chicken daily.
He died two months later due to an “acute haemorrhage from a ruptured mass on his liver”. A necropsy later revealed that the dog had liver disease and Cushing’s disease.
The woman was sentenced to two months imprisonment, ordered to pay reparations of $1222.15, and disqualified from owning dogs for 12 months, according to the SPCA.
“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.”
A veterinarian assessed the dog and found he 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,” an SPCA spokesperson said.
They continued: “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, who was sentenced at the Manukau District Court, told inspectors that she fed her dog 8-10 pieces of chicken daily, plus additional dog biscuits. She said Nuggi was exercised by walking him or making him spend time on the property outside.
SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said the dog’s condition was a “huge shock” to inspectors, who are used to dealing with underweight or starved animals.
Nuggi spent around two months in the care of the charity, where he lost 8.9kg — around 16.5% of his body weight — before he died suddenly, according to the SPCA.
Westwood said: “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.”
He added: “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.”