Man who struck puppy in the head six times issued $1,500 fine with no conviction

A Queensland Health employee who repeatedly beat a puppy has been fined $1500 with no conviction recorded. A member of the public who reported the abuse said the sentence made it hard to believe animal suffering was taken seriously. It follows an ABC investigation which uncovered a dramatic decrease in RSPCA prosecutions after changes to Queensland laws. Link copiedShareShare articleA man who beat a puppy as it cowered and cried out in pain has been fined $1,500 by a Queensland court. Warning: This story contains descriptions and video of alleged animal abuse. Queensland Health employee, Eriz Kevin Dela Cruz Alejo, had no conviction recorded and is free to get other dogs, with no prohibition order issued. A member of the public who reported the abuse said they felt "deflated" about the outcome, comparing it to a seatbelt fine, which attracts a $1251 penalty. Mr Alejo pleaded guilty to animal cruelty at the Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Friday. He was sentenced to a $1,500 fine and ordered to pay $115.50 for the costs of the court. Queensland Health employee, Eriz Kevin Dela Cruz Alejo, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. (Supplied: Facebook) In footage seen by the ABC earlier this year, Mr Alejo was seen shaking a puppy out of a plastic kennel and dragging it across the concrete in the patio of his Logan rental home. "What the f**k! What the f**k is that?" He yelled, shoving the dog's nose into a hole it had dug in the garden. Mr Alejo struck the puppy across the head six times and appeared to ram it against a metal pole twice. He then whacked the dog again, causing the dog to squeal and run away. The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) did not apply for a prohibition order during the court proceeding on Friday. The department asked the court to issue a fine of around $1,500 to $2,000. The maximum penalty for animal cruelty in Queensland is $322,600 or three years' imprisonment. Two days later the dog, named Gucci, was seized by the RSPCA. A lawyer for the DPI said Mr Alejo told RSPCA inspectors he was "disciplining the dog" but he acknowledged it was "excessive." Mr Alejo told the court the RSPCA had seized his dog, and he visited the charity's facilities in Wacol to get it back, but they refused to return the puppy. "I'm deeply sorry about my actions of what has happened," he said. "Because of this I was publicly humiliated already on social media, and I've lost my work because of this as well. "I just want to say I'm very sorry and I don't want this thing to ever happen again." Magistrate Terry Duroux said Mr Alejo's behaviour was "excessive" and "unacceptable." "Your behaviour towards the animal was absolutely outrageous," the magistrate told Mr Alejo. Magistrate Duroux said Mr Alejo had already experienced "significant consequences" such as losing work and facing scrutiny on social media. The magistrate exercised his discretion not to record a conviction as Mr Alejo had no previous criminal history of animal abuse. After a year where concerned neighbours and the ABC both made several inquiries, Mr Alejo was charged. Neighbours who submitted the complaint to the RSPCA last January said they had observed Mr Alejo with two more dogs at the property after the alleged abuse was reported and the first dog seized. A member of the public, who reported Mr Alejo to the RSPCA, said they were in "complete shock" over the outcome. "After everything that was exposed over the past year, to see it end with $1,500 fine feels absolutely devastating," they told the ABC. A man has been charged with animal cruelty a year after neighbours first made a complaint to the RSPCA. "When you really put it into perspective, the fine is barely more than a mobile phone or seatbelt offence in Queensland. "That comparison alone is honestly sickening considering the level of prolonged animal suffering involved in this case." The lack of a prohibition order was what upset them the most. "I think a lot of people expected this case to set an example," they said. "People want to believe animal suffering is taken seriously, but sentences like this make that very hard. "For many of us who followed this case, it doesn't feel like justice was served at all. It feels like the animals were failed." An ABC investigation uncovered a dramatic decrease in RSPCA prosecutions in recent years, which experts say aligns with changes to Queensland laws now requiring any RSPCA prosecutions be approved by the DPI. Since the 2022 changes, finalised RSPCA prosecutions in Queensland have fallen from 238 in 2020-21 to just nine in 2024-25, according to the charity's annual report. The ABC also revealed on Monday that zero charges have been laid in relation to dog fighting and cock fighting in Queensland since July 2022. Experts have told the ABC they believe the criminal activity is going undetected in the Sunshine State. In response to questions by the ABC, an RSPCA Queensland spokesperson said the charity condemns al

Man who struck puppy in the head six times issued $1,500 fine with no conviction

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