A West Australian couple, aged 55 and 49, has been fined $2000 each and barred from owning an animal for six months after being found guilty of serious neglect of their elderly Japanese Spitz, Bei Bei. The Perth Magistrates Court heard that the couple had left Bei Bei in a distressed state, unable to eat properly due to a growth on the dog‘s tongue causing necrosis.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) received a cruelty report in June 2023 about a dog in the Perth suburb of Embleton, described as appearing very unwell and frothing at the mouth. An RSPCA WA inspector, during the investigation, found Bei Bei in a poor and underweight condition with blood-tinged saliva and pus dripping from his mouth. The dog was lying on a mouldy dog bed, and the inspector noted that the coat was extremely dirty.
The female owner allegedly dismissed the inspector’s concerns, attributing the dog’s condition to old age. On June 24, the dog was taken to a vet, but the owners did not follow the vet’s advice to revisit in two or three days. The RSPCA inspector seized Bei Bei, taking him to an emergency vet who found the dog’s tongue immobile due to a mass and necrosis. The dog was severely emaciated, with a body score of two out of nine, and had a mass on the anus.
Tragically, Bei Bei died while receiving further treatment under general anaesthetic at the RSPCA in Malaga the next day.
Magistrate Donna Webb stated that the couple displayed “a complete misunderstanding and ignorance of what was happening to the animal and what the animal was going through.” The RSPCA welcomed the court’s decision, emphasizing that no animal should have to suffer as Bei Bei did.
RSPCA WA inspector manager Kylie Green stated, “This was a lovely dog, relying on his owners to look after him in his old age. To be left filthy, emaciated, in pain and unable to eat or even swallow his saliva properly was cruel, and I’m pleased the court has recognized that today.”
The couple was convicted under the Animal Welfare Act 2002 for allowing Bei Bei to suffer harm that could have been alleviated by taking reasonable steps. The maximum penalty for animal cruelty is a $50,000 fine and five years in prison. The RSPCA urges the community to report suspected incidents of animal neglect to 1300 Cruelty.
