Woman named Leonora Linda Marie Deworboies sentenced to jail for animal cruelty for beating dog

A shocking case of animal cruelty has recently come to light in Western Australia’s remote northern Goldfields, where a 47-year-old woman named Linda Marie Deworboies has been sentenced to 15 months in jail for brutally beating her small dog in broad daylight in the middle of town. The incident, which occurred on New Year’s Day 2022 in the main street of Leonora, 820 kilometers north-east of Perth, left the dog, named Buster, with such severe injuries that his hind leg had to be amputated, and he was later euthanized.

The court heard that Deworboies subjected Buster, a Jack Russell, to a prolonged and vicious attack, which included swinging him by his front legs into a brick wall multiple times, stomping on him, punching him with a closed fist, kicking him in the stomach, walking along swinging him by one leg, and throwing him to the ground. The attack was captured on CCTV cameras on Leonora’s main street, with footage described as „incredibly disturbing“ by Magistrate Janie Gibbs during the sentencing hearing.

Despite the severity of Buster’s injuries, Deworboies did not seek any treatment for him for an entire month until he was finally seized by authorities on January 31, 2022. When questioned about the incident, Deworboies lied and claimed that the dog had been injured when hit by a car in Kalgoorlie. Magistrate Gibbs noted that Buster’s small size, estimated to be just 5 kilograms, made him particularly vulnerable to such a violent and callous attack.

During the sentencing hearing, Prosecutor Ian Weldon argued against any suspension of the sentence, citing Deworboies‘ lack of remorse and the need to set an example. He referenced a similar case from the previous year where a woman was jailed for animal cruelty for throwing her dog off a two-story carpark in Perth. Weldon emphasized that Deworboies had shown serious and deliberate cruelty and was not fit to care for animals again.

Magistrate Gibbs concurred with the prosecutor, stating that she believed Deworboies‘ risk of future offending was high. Despite the possibility of parole in three months due to the backdating of her sentence to March 25, when she was taken into custody, Deworboies will serve at least 15 months in jail for her heinous actions.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of treating animals with care and respect, and the consequences of failing to do so. It also highlights the need for stricter penalties for those who commit acts of animal cruelty, in order to deter such behavior and protect vulnerable animals from harm.