Update 13 April 2024: NSW Police have charged a woman with animal cruelty more than a year after a dog was found severely injured at the base of a cliff near Wollongong.
The 32-year-old was arrested by detectives from Wollongong Police District on Friday and taken to Wollongong Police Station where she was charged.
The update comes after police launched an investigation to find the person responsible for allegedly throwing a dog – still inside her kennel – off a cliff.
Read original article below.
Injured dog found at base of escarpment
Original article published 22 January 2023: NSW Police say officers will soon be knocking on the door of the person responsible for an act of animal cruelty in the state’s Illawarra region.
Investigators are searching for the owner of the Australian Bulldog after he was found at the base of a cliff at Mount Ousley on Sunday morning.
A man who was bushwalking near Clive Bissell Drive made the discovery after hearing a dog yelp.
He then located an upside-down kennel, which contained the severely injured dog.
Police believe the dog – who appeared to also be in poor health and emaciated – was thrown from the cliff in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Officers from Wollongong Police District, Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, and SES volunteers retrieved the dog, but sadly his injuries were too severe, and he was put to sleep by a local vet.
NSW Police investigate animal cruelty
“We expect some success along that journey and when we have success, we will be knocking on that person’s door” NSW Police
Police, who are working with RSPCA NSW, believe the kennel was thrown from the cliff in the early hours of Sunday morning.
NSW Police Force’s Southern Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter, said the dog’s death was a really sad outcome for the community.
“The dog was provided all the care he could be given, but unfortunately the prognosis meant that he had to be euthanised,” A/C Cotter said, adding the focus for police now is identifying him and finding those responsible.
“We’ve recovered the kennel and inquiries are ongoing to try to identify who the dog is and who he belonged to.
“The kennel has been obtained by police and we are hoping for forensic evidence from that.
“We expect some success along that journey and when we have success, we will be knocking on that person’s door,” Assistant Commissioner Cotter said.
Appeal for community to help identify Australian Bulldog and person responsible
As the investigation continues, police are urging members of the local community to come forward with any information.
“We request members of the public in the local neighbourhood where there used to be a dog, but now there isn’t, to come forward.”
Investigators are appealing for anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area, or anyone with a dashcam that drove through the area this morning and might have footage that can assist, to contact local police or Crime Stoppers.
