A New Zealand woman was slapped with a two-month prison sentence after being found guilty of overfeeding her pet dog to death.

According to reports, when Nuggi (the dog’s name) was rescued from his unnamed owner in October of 2021, his weight was a shocking 53.7kg with his small legs struggling to support his enormous body.

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(SPCA) officers noted that the animal needed to pause three times to catch his breath after walking for just 10 metres where he was kept in the rescue car.

It’s further reported that his heartbeat was barely detectable by doctors during a check-up due to having so much fat.

It’s understood that the owner had fed him eight to ten pieces of chicken per day, in addition to a large portion of doggy treats, seemingly ignorant to the fact that he was killing the poor animal.

“Nuggi was being drastically overfed and, instead of seeking help or amending the behaviour, his owner continued to overfeed him until he could barely walk. This is unacceptable,” chief executive of the SPCA Todd Westwood, told NZ Herald.

“He was so enormous that he could hardly walk and he was clearly suffering as a result of the significant amount of weight he was carrying.”

The overfed dog spent two months in the care of the SPCA, during which time he lost 8.9 kilograms. However, he died after suffering a haemorrhage stemming from a mass on his liver. 

The owner was reportedly sued for overfeeding the canine to the point of death. The ruling recently handed down by the Manukau District Court saw her sentenced to two to two months in prison, and barred from owning dogs for a year.