Withers man David Wade Thorne appears in court charged with stapling pet dog’s wound without pain relief

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT A 25-year-old Withers man has made his first appearance in court charged with animal cruelty after his dog was allegedly found with an open chest wound that had been stapled together. David Wade Thorne appeared in Bunbury Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face a charge of not taking reasonable steps to prevent an animal from suffering harm. It is alleged an RSPCA inspector and a local ranger attended the man’s home in January, where they found a three-year-old kangaroo crossbreed dog in a small wire cage at the back of the property. The dog allegedly had a large wound on his chest which had been stapled shut but was bursting open. It was alleged Mr Thorne told the inspector the injury had been inflicted the night before by a kangaroo while he was out hunting with the dog. Mr Thorne also allegedly admitted to stapling the wound himself without using pain relief and had allegedly done so on previous occasions. The dog, who was seen to be visibly limping and hunched over with a swollen eye and covered in scratches and cuts, was seized and taken to a local vet, who was forced to amputate his front leg because of the severity of his condition. After surgery, the dog was taken to RSPCA’s animal care centre in Malaga, where his recovery continues. Mr Thorne had the matter adjourned for four weeks to receive legal advice and was next due to appear on July 11.