A 68-year-old Kenwick man has been fined $7,500 for allowing his cancer-ridden dog to suffer for months without proper food, water, or medical attention.
On Tuesday, Gerard Jeffery Alvisse was found guilty of animal cruelty in the Perth Magistrates Court after failing to take his Mastiff crossbreed, Brutus, to a vet.
The nine-year-old dog was so ill when an RSPCA inspector found him following a cruelty report in October that he couldn’t even get up.
To get him to safety, firefighters from the Maddington Fire Station were called in to help – by breaking several padlocks on the gates to the backyard.
Camera icons terrible condition in which Brutus was found. Credit: RSPCA WA
“Despite trying to get in touch with (Alvisse), the inspector present could not access the backyard to see and assess the dog,” said an RSPCA statement released Tuesday. “Using a ladder, the inspector could look over the fence where she saw Brutus lying next to a stained mattress.”
Once in the backyard, the inspector noticed a dirty bowl near Brutus’ head and a bucket full of green water nearby.
Camera IconThe old green water left for Brutus. Credit: RSPCA WA
She also saw Brutus up close for the first time and his miserable condition.
He had a large, raised, open red tumor on the right side of his face, a large amount of green pus oozing from his eyes, and flies that covered his hips and backside.
Unable to stand, firefighters helped the inspector grab the dog and take him to her vehicle.
Less than 24 hours later, Brutus went into cardiac arrest at Perth Vet Emergency and could not be rescued.
Camera icon The dirty mattress on which Brutus was found. Credit: RSPCA WA
The RSPCA statement said: “A post-mortem examination revealed that the large mass on Brutus’s face was a malignant tumor that would have been present and detectable for at least two months and likely healed by surgery in the early stages.”
“Instead, as the autopsy shows, primary cancer had spread throughout Brutus’ body,” it said.
RSPCA WA inspector manager Kylie Green said her heart broke for Brutus, “who deserved so much more”.
“No animal should be left to suffer like Brutus did; there is no need,” she said. “It’s hard to think about how much pain he was in or how long he had to endure it.”
In addition to a $7,500 fine, Alvisse was also ordered to pay more than $2,200 in costs.
Whether or not he is allowed to have another pet will be decided by a magistrate on June 8.