Slaughtered dogs would have cowered in fear - SPCA

The 33 dogs shot dead in what police have called a "bloody, rifle-killing frenzy" would have cowered in fear, says SPCA head, Bob Kerridge.

The dogs were shot following a row between neighbours on a rural property near Wellsford, North of Auckland.

Police and the SPCA were both investigating the shootings and Mr Kerridge said the dogs would have been terrified.

"It was a total massacre."

The dogs were shot after a fox terrier belonging to Russell Mendoza was killed and he blamed the death on or more of the 39 dogs kept on his neighbour Rowan Hargreaves' property. MORE>>

SPCA staff offered counselling after dog massacre

SPCA executive director Bob Kerridge said what staff saw was a turn-around of what they stood for and they were very emotional.

"Abuse to animals is totally contrary to how they feel," Mr Kerridge said today.

One of the men who shot the dogs ran a store advertising pet care.

Russell Mendoza and another man used a .22 calibre rifle and shotgun to shoot the dogs on Monday night, blaming one or more of them for the mauling death of Mr Mendoza's fox terrier. The slaughter included 23 pups and 10 adult dogs.

Mr Hargreaves described the dogs as his family and said he was in shock.

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Mr Kerridge said the animals had been well looked after and neither the police, the SPCA nor the Rodney District Council had received any complaints about Mr Hargreaves' dogs.

"They were very, very healthy, very well cared for animals."