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Man charged after footage allegedly shows puppies being thrown into Whakatāne River
NNew Zealand

Man charged after footage allegedly shows puppies being thrown into Whakatāne River

  • March 31, 2026

Senior Sergeant Cam MacKinnon said a 19-year-old man had been charged with cruelty to animals, while a 17-year-old had been referred to Youth Aid.

He said wilful ill-treatment towards animals is “unacceptable in any form”.

“We will robustly work to hold offenders to account for their actions. This includes restrictions on bail during court proceedings.”

The videos were shared to the Facebook group Animal abusers exposed NZ.

Hundreds of comments on the multiple posts strongly condemned the men’s actions.

SPCA regional manager Jason Blair said the footage was “distressing and concerning”.

“As this is a police matter, we are available to assist them with any inquiries and cannot comment further.”

If anyone else has information regarding this incident, it can be provided online at 105.police.govt.nz, click “Update Report”.

Please quote police event number P065921794.

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