A 57-year-old man is facing animal cruelty charges after two dogs were discovered inside a bike locker at a train station in Australia, police say.
The New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) reported that officers were called to Penrith railway station—about 34 miles from central Sydney—on Wednesday, Nov. 19, around 4 p.m. local time. The call came after witnesses heard dogs barking from within a metal bike locker.
With assistance from Fire and Rescue NSW, police opened the locker and found two greyhound dogs in severe distress. One dog was already dead. The second was suffering from extreme heatstroke and was taken to a local veterinarian, where it later died.
Following an investigation, police arrested a 57-year-old man on Station Street in Penrith the next morning, Thursday, Nov. 20, at about 9:30 a.m. Authorities have not publicly explained how they connected the suspect to the incident.
Local outlet The Western Weekender identified the man as Sandy Norrie, though police have not confirmed his identity. It remains unclear whether the dogs belonged to him or to someone else.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/police-car-Sydney-Australia-112225-2b1944b99153460abfdd23f52fc2ab4f.jpg)
The man was taken to St. Marys Police Station, where he was charged with 10 animal cruelty offenses. According to the NSWPF, the charges include two counts of recklessly beating and killing an animal, aggravated cruelty, confining an animal in a space too small for proper exercise, committing an act of cruelty, and failing to provide appropriate care while responsible for an animal.
He was refused bail, appeared in court on Nov. 20, and is due to return to court on Thursday, Nov. 27.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/snw-australia-police-lights-112225-9a2f5749d2064e4b903e7f9a7e94eb87.jpg)
The case comes amid a broader push across several Australian states to strengthen penalties for animal cruelty. In South Australia, for example, updated laws allow for maximum fines of up to $250,000 and potential prison terms of up to 10 years, according to Vet Practice Magazine. Previously, the maximum penalty was a $50,000 fine and four years in jail. Corporations found guilty of animal mistreatment can now face fines of up to $1 million, the outlet reported.
