'She's not cruel': Woman stitched lamb's neck back together with 27 staples

*This story contains details that may upset some readers

A woman with a history of SPCA complaints stitched a lamb’s neck back together with 27 staples after claiming it got its head stuck in a wire fence.

The woman, who was granted permanent name suppression in the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday, also decided to treat her 6-month-old dog that was suffering renal failure and liver disease, at home.

She refused pain relief and euthanasia as suggested by two vets. Days later SPCA staff dug up the dog’s remains and discovered it hadn’t been humanely put down.

A month later, Waikato District Council animal welfare officers were back at the woman’s rural Hamilton property, inspecting a dog with an obvious injury to its front right leg.

Soon after it was seized by SPCA staff, it was found to have been in pain for up to 12 months, and was put down.

As for the lamb, it was now a sheep and had made a full recovery while living in foster care.

The woman was sentenced by Judge Arthur Tompkins on one representative charge of failing to ensure that ill or injured animals were treated to alleviate unreasonable or unnecessary pain.

Her lawyer, Tom Sutcliffe, argued that she wasn’t a “cruel woman who mistreats her animals”.

“It’s not mistreatment of the animals, it’s failing to provide appropriate treatment,” he said.

The charge, under the Animal Welfare Act, carried a maximum penalty of 12 months’ prison or a $50,000 fine.

‘I’ve been force feeding him yoghurt and water’’

The first incident involved the 6-month-old dog in August 2022.

The defendant took the dog to a vet who found that he was underweight, weak, severely jaundiced, dehydrated, had renal failure and liver disease.

The vet told her the dog should either be hospitalised or euthanised, but she instead said she would try to treat him at home.

Two days later, SPCA officers went to her property, where they were told the dog was “doing much better”.

However, two more days later, she took him to another vet who found he had deteriorated further, and was unable to walk or hold his head up, and was “severely” dehydrated.

When a minor amount of pressure was applied to his stomach, the dog vomited a clear liquid with a yellow substance.

The defendant told the vet that she had been force feeding him yoghurt and water and thought he was doing better.

She declined treatment and pain relief, and said she would shoot him if he declined further.

He died later that day, in what a vet described as a “tremendous amount of pain and discomfort and would have been extremely nauseous”.

After digging up his body, they found he was emaciated because of chronic illness and more than 10% dehydrated, and had a gastric ulceration.

The woman said she noticed he was jaundiced so took him to the vet, that she had given him antibiotics, glucose and electrolytes.

She said the dog died in the car on the way home from the vet.

‘I gave him pain relief’

The following month, council officers discovered another dog limping and referred it to the SPCA.

The dog had a fractured right elbow, had been suffering long-term pain and distress, and wasn’t a suitable candidate for surgery given his “extreme fear aggression” and was instead put down.

The woman told SPCA staff that the dog had a bruised leg, and that she’d given him Metacampain relief, but admitted she hadn’t taken him to the vet.

‘It’s neck is ripped up’

In November 2022, council staff again visited her property.

The defendant told them about an injured lamb that had got stuck in a wire fence and its neck was “ripped up”.

She said she had been treating the lamb herself but wouldn’t let officers look at it.

SPCA inspectors were informed the following month and seized the lamb.

A vet found the neck wound extended around 50% of its neck, and was about 15 to 18cm in length.

There were also numerous other wounds around its neck, chest and back of the head, all of which were five to 14 days old.

Large amounts of wool and dead skin were debrided in the wound, and pus was also noticed under an area of dead skin.

After a bout of pain relief and antibiotics, and living with a foster family, the lamb has made a full recovery.

The vet found 27 staples in the lamb’s wounds, believed to have been applied by the woman.

‘20 previous complaints to the SPCA’

Court documents reveal the woman has been the subject of 20 previous animal welfare complaints received by the SPCA.

Only one resulted in a “formal outcome” in 2014, relating to the body condition and the stocking rate of livestock in her care.

Also, in 2022, she was convicted of failing to provide proper and sufficient feed to a mob of cattle.

She also was granted name suppression in that case and issued a disqualification order, which banned her from owning more than 10 cattle beasts.

‘Banned for seven years - apart from dogs you already own’

The sentencing had earlier been remanded to allow for a “dispute resolution process” about the woman’s disqualification from owning animals.

The SPCA had sought a blanket disqualification of the woman owning any animal for 10 years, but it was then discovered she was already subjected to an order, banning her from owning more than 10 bovines.

After discussions with Sutcliffe, the SPCA agreed to a ban for seven years, but excusing the eight dogs already in her care.

Instead, when a dog dies, she would not be able to replace it and she would only be able to own a maximum of three dogs.

The prosecutor said it was the third time she had been prosecuted and a fine was inadequate, and instead pushed for a community work sentence.

‘She believed she could treat the dog herself’

Sutcliffe told Judge Tompkins that the dogs were companion dogs, but also working dogs.

“This is not a case of deliberate mistreatment of animals.

“One dog she took to two vets. She just couldn’t accept the advice that they gave and believed that she could treat the dog herself.

“The other dog, she was treating it, but inadequately, and should have taken it to the vet, but she didn’t.

“In terms of the sheep, she actually applied first aid, as she understood it but it obviously wasn’t to the standard that was acceptable.”

Sutcliffe said a fine would be an appropriate sentence, and successfully argued for permanent name suppression.

He said the woman had been granted suppression on two previous occasions, under the same grounds, and submitted those same grounds still stand.

Judge Tompkins convicted and ordered the woman to pay a fine of $2000 to the SPCA, together with $350 towards its costs.

He also outlined that suppression was pursued due to it likely bringing her “unwelcome violent attention”.

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 11 years and has been a journalist for 22.