Cat owner fined for failing to get dental care on his cat

The SPCA says not many people are deliberately cruel to their animals, but it took a stand against an Auckland cat owner for failing to care for its dental health, as a reminder of the obligations and costs of owning a pet. The Auckland District Court has sentenced Brett Goulding to 100 hours of community work for failing to get help for his pet's severe dental problems. He was also disqualified from owning animals for five years - except for the other two cats still currently in his care, and ordered to pay 365 dollars in reparations after the cat was eventually euthanised. Inspectorate general manager Tracy Phillips told our reporter Tracy Neal, that when people have difficulty looking after their animals, there's usually something going on in their home life.