Otago appears to be one of the worst places to be an animal, following the release of the SPCA's annual List of Shame.
Of the 45 animal cruelty cases which feature, Otago was home to seven, placing it on equal footing with Canterbury.
Youth offenders dominate the list which includes a Dunedin primary school boy who was caught torturing his neighbour's hens, killing one of them from stress, last November.
Trevor Kelvin Scorring, a Dunedin supermarket employee who baited, trapped and tortured a seagull using a shopping trolley in December, also featured, as did an Alexandra 18-year-old who shot his dog with a BB gun in January to stop it from barking.
These cases sit alongside that of a Gisborne man who fed five live kittens to his dog, and that of a Pukekohe man who tore the head off a kitten in front of his family.
Along with torture and cruelty, the list includes cases of serious animal neglect, such as that of a dog in Wanaka which, following knee surgery, was left in the open in a cage, with no shelter or water, on a wet blanket covered in urine and faeces, in the middle of summer.
Otago SPCA chief inspector Virginia Pine believed Otago's prominence in the list came down to the number of youth offences in the area over the past 12 months.
When selecting cases for the list, the national body often targeted youth cases to raise awareness of the link between cruelty to animals and violence and abuse towards humans.
Up to 84% of young animal abusers will go on to commit further serious offences, she said.
"I think it just happened to be this year in particular that we did have a few more youth incidents."Last year, Otago had two of the 51 cases on the list, and in 2008 it had four of the 50 cases.
However, the list made "pretty horrific reading".
She hoped it would raise awareness of the organisation's work, and instil confidence in the public to report offending.
Royal New Zealand SPCA's national chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said the SPCA worked with New Zealand children to help them learn to care for, and be responsible with, animals.
It also worked hard to bring to justice those responsible for animal abuse and neglect and this year's Animal Welfare Amendment Act contributed to a "substantial increase".
"We believe the increased chance of detection will lead many people to think twice before abusing animals."
Otago SPCA list of shame
November 2009:
- Dunedin primary pupil tortures his neighbour's hens.
December 2009:
- Dog with broken paw seen by vet in Dunedin, 18-year-old owner refuses to return it for further treatment.
- Wanaka dog left out in open in cage after knee surgery.
- Dunedin supermarket employee baits, traps and tortures a seagull with a shopping trolley.
January 2010:
- 18-year-old Alexandra shoots a BB gun at his dog.
March 2010:
- Pony belonging to 13-year-old girl euthanased due to poor condition.
July 2010:
- Emaciated trekking horse euthanased by vet on SPCA instructions.
