A man who beat a dog so hard it's left eye ruptured has been sentenced to five months' community detention.
Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
He's also been ordered to pay a $1000 fine to the SPCA, and $150 towards legal costs.
The man attacked the dog called Patch in November 2017, after Patch bit his daughters lip while she was in the care of friends.
He immediately travelled to the property where Patch was chained up, hitting the dog four times with a bat.
The man then took his daughter to hospital, where she was admitted for surgery on her lip.
Patch was taken to a veterinarian, who found that the dog's eye was so badly damaged it was a bloody pulp.
The vet said patch would have suffered a great deal of pain as a result of the beating.
Patch was later put down.
The man said he regretted his actions, and that he had seen red, wanting to inflict Patch with the same pain his daughter had endured.
SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen said the incident showed how important it was to supervise children around animals and teach them how to behave.
She said that while tensions were running high, violence towards animals was not the solution.
"SPCA sympathises with the victims of dog bites and acknowledges that dog attacks are a major societal problem that require a serious and effective long-term solution,"
"But beating an animal blind in a violent manner is horrific and absolutely not the answer to this issue."
