SPCA prosecutes man after he kicks and kills partner’s dog

A Christchurch man has been prosecuted by SPCA for kicking his partner’s dog so hard, she bled internally and died from her injuries.

Cian Irwin was charged with recklessly ill-treating the dog, and after pleading guilty at an earlier appearance, he was today sentenced in the Christchurch District Court to four months’ community detention, disqualified from owning companion animals for three years, and ordered to pay reparations of $1,337.25 and legal fees of $500.

The case began in October 2018, when SPCA Inspectors attended the defendant’s property in response to a call that he had kicked his partner’s dog, a two-year-old female Staffordshire cross Terrier named Kiomi.

The informant heard a thud and the sound of a dog crying, he looked through the fence in to the defendant’s property and saw the defendant holding a hose and directing the water at Kiomi. He then observed the defendant lift his leg and kick her. The informant immediately called SPCA.

When SPCA Inspectors arrived, they found Kiomi lying on the ground, tethered by the short lead to the washing line in the backyard. She was dead.

Her body was seized for post mortem examination which revealed that she had a small puncture wound, approximately 7mm in diameter to the central temporal area of her head. She also had bruising to the upper gums and mouth on the left side, and she had minute haemorrhages and bruising present in her inner cheek, indicating trauma.

She also had severe bruising to her abdomen, approximately 25cm in diameter, which had occurred close to the time of her death. There was a large volume of bloody fluid internally, and she had a grossly abnormal liver.

The veterinarian concluded that her injuries suggested non-accidental significant blunt force trauma to multiple areas, with at least three forceful blows. This trauma ruptured her liver and caused her to bleed out internally.

The extent of her trauma would have caused Kiomi severe pain, insurmountable stress, and unnecessary suffering.

When interviewed, the defendant said Kiomi belonged to his partner who was overseas and he was looking after her. When he had returned home to find Kiomi had made a mess in the house, he got angry and kicked her once to punish her. This made Kiomi bark and scream, which indicated to him that he had hurt her.

After kicking Kiomi, he tied her to the washing line and hosed her down with the garden hose to clean her. He then left the property and returned to work.

"Kiomi met a violent death after being kicked so hard, her liver ruptured. She was then left to succumb to her injuries while tied to a washing line. She suffered greatly when she died," says Andrea Midgen, SPCA CEO.

"It’s unbelievable that a person would treat an animal this way."