Woman jailed for over-feeding her dog so much he couldn’t move

A dog ended up so obese he could hardily move and his owner has been jailed for two months.

Nuggi the dog was found at his home in Auckland, New Zealand, in October 2021, after a search warrant was granted by police.

He became so massive that he had to stop three times after only walking 10 metres.

Nuggi was taken into care by vets when he was rescued from the home but died two months later as a result of health complications.

Vets said his ‘legs appeared to be collapsing under the weight of his huge body’.

Nuggi weighed 53.7kg and was ‘so obese that it wasn’t possible to hear his heart with a stethoscope’ because of the fat, Manukau District Court heard.

It was heard how Nuggi would have suffered with long-term distress and discomfort because of the weight he was carrying.

Alongside being obese, Nuggi also suffered from conjunctivitis, had overgrown nails, and was covered in skin tags.

Todd Westwood, chief executive for the NZ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said: ‘Nuggi was easily one of the most obese animals we’ve ever encountered.

‘He was so enormous that he could hardly walk, and he was clearly suffering as a result of the significant amount of weight he was carrying.’

He said his team were used to dealing with animals at the opposite end of the weight scale.

Todd said: ‘Sadly, we see animals on a daily basis that are underweight, starved or malnourished, but it’s equally heartbreaking to see a helpless animal that’s been severely overfed.’

Todd added: ‘Part of being a responsible dog owner is providing your pet with an appropriate diet and daily exercise, which was clearly not the case here.

‘Nuggi was being drastically overfed, and instead of seeking help or amending the behaviour, his owner continued to overfeed him until he could barely walk. This is unacceptable.’

His owner pleaded guilty and she was ordered to pay reparations of £514 and disqualified from owning dogs for 12 months. 

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