Boy was beaten so severely that he lost his eye, 5 teeth and suffered a broken jaw

Justice for Boy

In late June 2012 in a back yard in Mangere, a man called Maxwel Johnson beat his one-year-old dog ‘Boy’ so severely that the dog lost an eye, several teeth, and suffered a broken jaw.

In March 2013 Maxwel Johnson pleaded guilty to the wilful ill-treatment of an animal under Section 28(1a) of the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and was sentenced to 6 months in jail, disqualified from owning pets for 10 years and ordered to pay reparations of $4331.75.

By donating to the Justice Fund you can help ensure that SPCA Auckland Inspectors are out on the frontline 24/7, rescuing animals in need. Your supporter will mean we can continue to seek Justice for those that have been abused, abandoned or neglected.

Warning: The story below contains graphic details and may cause distress

Acting on a complaint received from a member of the public, Boy, a brindled bull terrier cross, was found chained to a kennel. There was a serious injury to the dog’s left eye and a large amount of swelling over the left upper jaw area. He was slow and stiff at standing, and was limping on his front right leg.

When SPCA Auckland Inspectors interviewed Maxwel under caution a few days later, he admitted the beating. First, Johnson struck the dog in the head with his fist several times using his full force. Then, he struck the dog several more times with the wooden end of a fishing rod, using both arms to swing the rod as hard as he could.

He said he beat the dog on purpose knowing it would injure the dog and cause pain and distress. He said he did it to teach him a lesson. He also said that the dog was screaming throughout the assault, and admitted to a history of hitting and kicking Boy.

The dog was seized and brought to SPCA Auckland, where he received immediate treatment by an SPCA Veterinarian. Due to the severity of the injuries the eye was removed the next day along with five severely damaged teeth.

X-rays confirmed a fracture to Boy’s left upper jaw and a healing fracture of his right foreleg from a previous injury. The Veterinarian confirmed that Boy would have suffered from severe pain and distress caused by the injuries and is left with a permanent disability.

Donate today to the SPCA Auckland Justice Fund so that we can continue to seek justice for animals like Boy.

What is The Justice Fund and how does it help?

With the sad and ever increasing animal cruelty crimes we encounter, this task of bringing offenders to justice has never been more important. The maintenance of inspectors on the road in the vast city of Auckland, coupled with the costs associated with case preparation and execution of the judicial process, is immense.

Little income is generated from successful prosecutions and the Society receives no specific funding for its role in policing and prosecuting under the Animal Welfare Act. We need help to fight for the animals.

Help us raise money so we can bring animal offenders to justice. By donating to the Justice Fund, you are directly helping SPCA Auckland to bring animal offenders to justice.