Dog massacre charges pending

By DELWYN DICKEY and CLIO FRANCIS - Rodney Times
Last updated 16:57 28/01/2010

The SPCA has described a "haunting scene of death and destruction" at the site where 33 dogs were killed as the society decides what charges it will lay.

Police said today they would seize the rifles after the dogs were shot dead in a Northland row on Monday between Rowan Hargreaves and his neighbour Russell Mendoza, who owns the dogs, near Wellsford.

The SPCA said at a press conference this afternoon that they would lay charges, while the inspector who discovered the massacre described the "haunting scene of death and destruction".

"I arrived at the property and was confronted by a scene not unlike a masacere," SPCA inspector Sacha Keltie, said as the emotion took its toll.

The dead dogs had been piled on top of one another, inside the cages, she said.

"The way they were positioned, indicated to me they had gone into the corners to try to shield themselves."

SPCA executive Bob Kerridge said that in his many years with the society he had seen an untold number of atrocities against animals. "But the share size of this puts it in a completely different league."

The dogs had been healthy, well looked after, and much loved, he said.

The SPCA has already been offered the services of high profile lawyer John Haigh QC, but still has to complete its investigation before charges can be formalised.

It appeared some of the dogs had not died instantly, Ms Keltie said. "I have never ever seen anything this horrible in my life.

"It was a haunting scene of death and destruction."

Mr Hargreaves, who saw the dogs he called "his family" shot dead, is also being counselled by close friends, said police.

Mr Hargreaves said earlier that he had been told two of his dogs had been identified as mauling a neighbour's family pet fox terrier, which subsequently died.

He agreed to destroy the two dogs that matched the description of the offending dogs and shot them on his property "away from the other dogs and humanely", he says.

He acknowledged he had given permission for the remaining adult animals to be destroyed as well, but it is the manner in which the animals were killed, along with puppies, that Mr Hargreaves says were not part of the agreement. That has upset him and others.

It was "horrific and cruel", he says.

Friend and business partner Richard Hawkings says he was at the property with Mr Hargreaves when two men, one who he describes as a hunter, came on to the property to shoot the adult dogs.

But rather than taking the dogs out separately and shooting them away from the others, the man randomly started shooting the dogs with a .22 rifle, says Mr Hawkings.

There were seven dogs in one large cage and they started shooting at the dogs through the wire, he says.

The dogs were screaming, some trying to hide and others with skin coming off as they tried to climb through the wire, he says.

"I was in tears yelling at them to stop," says Mr Hawkings.

Mr Hawkings says a shotgun was then used, and both men started shooting puppies which were running free.

While he was able to hide six of the puppies, 22 others - including some as young as three weeks old - were killed, Mr Hawkings says.

"If I'd known they were going to do this I would never have agreed to it, or at least I would have done it humanely myself."

None of the dogs on the property were registered, says Rodney District Council communications manager David Anderson. He understands there had been complaints from neighbours about dogs worrying sheep in the area.

Mr Kerridge, SPCA's executive director, said animals instinctively knew when they were in danger.

"They may not know the purpose of it and they may not know what was going to happen but they are certainly aware of danger and there is no question they would have reacted in that way.

"You have not only got the aspect of the firing, you have got animals dying around them and you have got the sound. From what we understand the sound was horrendous of these dogs crying in agony. That will communicate a message to all the other dogs, without a doubt."

Mr Kerridge said he had been promoting animal welfare for many years but when he heard of the slaughter he was "absolutely amazed. I have been in the game for a long time but we have never had anything like this."

Mr Kerridge said the SPCA was still investigating whether anyone should be charged over the incident.

Police are also investigating the shooting, including the possibility one of the gunmen did not have a firearms licence.

From: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3269732/Neighbour-dispute-leaves-33-dogs-dead