The owner of a Rottweiler who alleged that his beloved dog was savagely attacked by a group of teens has been charged with making a false report to police.
The man, 42, claimed that his nine-year-old dog Sasha was allegedly bashed and kicked while she was tied to a tree for 15 minutes outside Marketown Shopping Centre in Newcastle last Friday.
He claimed that he returned to a badly injured Sasha and rushed her to a vet, where the dog was euthanised due to her injuries.
Police launched an investigation after Sasha’s owner reported the alleged incident.
Following extensive inquiries, NSW Police now allege that Sasha was not in the vicinity of the shopping centre on the date of the reported incident after finding no CCTV.
It was also alleged that officers have since established that the dog had suffered a history of chronic hip and osteoarthritic pain prior to the reported incident and was put down due to her health issues.
Detectives attended a home in Charlestown on Friday afternoon to speak to the dog’s owner.
Sasha’s owner has been charged with making a false report to police a week after the Rottweiler (pictured) was put down
Police now allege that Sasha (pictured) was not in the vicinity of the shopping centre on the date of the reported incident
The man initially alleged that Sasha was bashed and kicked by a group of teens while she was tied to a tree outside Newcastle’s Marketown Shopping Centre in Newcastle last Friday
The 42-year-old man was issued a court attendance notice for false representation resulting in police investigation.
He will appear in Newcastle Local Court on November 27.
News of Sasha’s alleged assault earlier sparked widespread outrage on social media, prompted crowd-funding to raise $10,000 for a reward to find the culprits, which was shared tens of thousands of times.
‘We are desperately seeking witnesses,’ a family member posted online earlier this week.
‘Help us find justice for Sasha.’
