A dog owner appeared in a New Zealand court this week to save his pet from a possible death sentence. According to the New Zealand Herald, 48-year-old Kyle Rakai Te Hau Ratapu had to convince a judge that his dog wasn't as aggressive as prosecutors portrayed.
Why the dog faces destruction
Exactly what landed Ratapu's Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Koha the Staffy in the hot seat is it killed a couple of cats last year. The first time happened in March when it roamed off Ratapu's property in New Plymouth. Afterward, a court classified the dog as "menacing," but released it into Ratapu's custody.
Nine months later, however, Koha did it again. That second time, he wandered into a neighbor's yard where two dogs and an elderly cat named Smokey were. And the 18-year-old blind and deaf cat didn't stand a chance.
Arguments in court
In court, Ratapu and his attorneys argued that Koha attacked the cats under unusual circumstances. They explained that the first time Koha killed a cat, he was not at Ratapu's home or in his care. The second time, Ratapu accidentally locked the dog out of the house as he was suffering from a medical issue at the time. They added that the dog had never attacked a human. Plus, Ratapu said he would muzzle and leash the dog when out in public.
Prosecutors dismissed the idea that these were isolated incidents. With two attacks under his belt, they argued that Koha had a track record of roaming from properties and killing pet cats.
In the end, the judge ruled in favor of Koha, noting that Smokey's owners had not asked for him to be killed. "He is not an aggressive dog. He will be a danger if comes across another cat that is asleep but I don't think that's going to happen," the judge said. While he spared Koha, he ordered Ratapu to pay a $400 fine and $250 in reparations.
