Man Charged For Kicking Guide Dog While Its Owner Was Training It

KEY POINTS

The accused person was charged with animal cruelty
The dog was taken to a vet and was doing well
The dog’s owner called the incident "extremely unusual"

A man accused of kicking a guide dog in Australia while its owner was trying to train it was charged with animal cruelty Friday.

The incident took place Thursday morning in the western city of Penrith. The police responded to the city’s High Street area regarding the report of an injured animal, Ladbible reported.

Authorities were told the dog was having a training session with its owner when the man kicked it. The age and sex of the animal weren’t revealed.

The dog’s owner, Ryan Jones, called the incident "extremely unusual."

"It was certainly a distressing incident that happened yesterday, it’s certainly something that’s rare, certainly sent shock waves through us," Jones told media outlet 4BC.

Deputies with the Nepean Police Area Command have arrested the 53-year-old man in connection with the assault, according to the outlet.

“It’s a $50,000 dog: [there’s a] cost to breed, raise and train, and an incident like we saw yesterday could really put all of that training to a stop. Then someone misses out on a life-changing guide dog,” Jones told 4BC.

The dog was taken to a vet for assessment, and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, a non-profit, has confirmed both the dog and its owner were doing well, media outlet 2GB reported.

"The Guide Dogs team provided immediate health and welfare support and screening to both the trainer and the Guide Dog-in-training. We are relieved to confirm that both are doing well, but we will continue to monitor and provide support over the coming week, as required," the organization said in a statement, according to 2GB.

"This incident reinforces the need for ongoing community education around Guide Dogs and Guide Dogs in training," the statement added.

Guide dogs are typically trained to provide emotional assistance to people with special needs. Training is vital to shape the canines’ potential to become skilled professionals. The special training involves days of socializing, introducing the dog to different social environments so that they help visually impaired people navigate effortlessly. Relatively larger dogs such as Golden and Labrador retrievers or German shepherds are used as guide dogs.