Police have arrested two young men in connection with a video circulating on social media that allegedly shows them throwing puppies into a river, resulting in the animals’ deaths.
Puppy Cruelty Investigation
The incident came to the attention of authorities after members of the public contacted police yesterday regarding the video, which depicted two males allegedly throwing the very young puppies into the Whakatāne River and sharing the footage online.
According to Police area response manager Senior Sergeant Cam MacKinnon, witnesses reported seeing the males remove the puppies from a pillowcase before throwing them into the water. “Tragically, the puppies drowned in the river,” MacKinnon said.
MacKinnon emphasized that such willful ill-treatment of animals is “unacceptable in any form” and constitutes an offense under the Animal Welfare Act 1999. He stated that police will “robustly work to hold these offenders to account for their actions,” including potential restrictions on bail during court proceedings.
A 19-year-old man has been charged with cruelty to an animal, and a 17-year-old male has been referred to Youth Aid. Both offenders have been located.
Police acknowledged the assistance provided by the public and encouraged anyone with additional information to come forward via the 105 non-emergency number.
SPCA regional manager Jason Blair described the footage as “both distressing and concerning.” Due to the ongoing police investigation, the SPCA is limited in its public comment but confirmed its animal welfare officers are available to assist with inquiries.
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