Cruel dog owner caught on camera viciously beating his pet bullmastiff named Bolo with a wooden plank after 'losing it' with the cheeky pup
- Dog owner who violently beat dog with wooden plank sentenced over the attack
- Murray Johnson admitted the crime at Christchurch Court on Wednesday
- Bolo, the bullmastiff, was hit after Johnson 'lost it' when it escaped through gate
- He suffered significant bruises and internal injures after attack last September
A man caught violently bashing his pet bullmastiff with a wooden plank on camera has been fined and disqualified from owning dogs for the next three years.
Owner Murray Johnson was sentenced at the Christchurch District Court on Wednesday after admitting to the cruel attack last September, which left Bolo - his former pet - with internal injuries and significant bruises.
The horrific incident was captured on camera by a witness, who saw Johnson raise a wooden plank above his head and smack the dog with it.
Moments later Bolo was yelping loudly in pain, after his owner admitted 'losing it' when Bolo escaped through a gate and was found attempting to fight another dog.
Bolo was found to have a bleeding wound on his face below the right eye as a result of the incident, and he needed stitches for a puncture wound on his lower right lip, which pushed into a tooth.
Bolo (pictured) was left with internal injuries and significant bruises after being beaten with a wooden plank
Bolo was also found to have limited movement in his shoulders as well as elevated creatine kinase levels in his blood.
The dog was seized by SPCA inspectors when carrying out a search warrant following police attending the location of the attack later on in the day.
A veterinary examination showed Bolo had muscle damage from the attack as well as trauma around his kidney.
The plank police seized was found to have blood on it and could have injured Bolo more severely if it was not for his large, muscular body.
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The plank police seized (pictured) was found to have blood on it and could have injured Bolo more severely if it was not for large size
SPCA CEO Andrea Midgen said physical punishment was not the answer to an animal displaying signs of unwanted behaviour.
'Instead, an owner should train their dog to respond to positive reinforcement of good behaviours, use lots of praise and have patience with their animal,' she said in a statement on the SPCA website.
The NZ Herald reported Johnson was sentenced to 150 hours' community work and a $1,500 fine payable to SPCA.
He was also disqualified for three years from owning dogs.
Bolo's ownership has been surrendered to the SPCA and he has been listed as available for adoption.
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