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A Lower Hutt man has pleaded guilty to charges relating to the horrific abuse of a dog in July.
The charges relate to Evelyne Weaver's dog Honey which was put down after suffering horrific injuries, including being shaved and having a hole drilled into her throat.
Uwe Preuss pleaded guilty to charges of theft of a dog and failing to ensure it received treatment to alleviate pain and stress.
"When he brought her to me her claws were bleeding there (were) pools of blood...she could hardly stand up," says Weaver.
Preuss was originally charged with aggravated cruelty to Honey and to Marina Lathouraki's cat Athena, but struck a plea bargain.
"The second cat that went missing came back with a dislocated jaw," says Lathouraki.
Both Marina Lathouraki and Evelyne Weaver let Preuss board with them while he was on bail. Other former housemates are concerned that Preuss may have had something to do with injuries to their animals, but he has never faced charges.
When he entered the courtroom on Thursday, Preuss eyeballed pet owners in the public gallery and drew his finger across his throat several times, mouthing threats until prison guards told him to stop.
"He threatened us in the courtroom and shouted and indicated he was going to kill us," says Marina's husband Michael Lathouraki.
Preuss will be sentenced in February 2006.
