Anger management for dog stabber

BRISBANE, Australia, May 1 (UPI) -- An Australian magistrate sentenced a man who pleaded guilty to stabbing his wife's dog to attend anger management counseling.

Peter Atkinson, 49, of Brisbane, pleaded guilty Friday to animal cruelty in Beenleigh Magistrate's Court and was sentenced to attend anger management counseling -- in addition to completing 75 hours of community service and 18 months of probation -- the Brisbane Courier-Mail reported Friday.

Atkinson admitted to throwing a knife at the dog -- a female malamute -- because he was jealous of the attention the animal received from his wife.

Shelley-Anne Brace, a lawyer for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the dog was euthanized at the Animal Emergency Service in Underwood after the family told veterinarians they could not afford the surgery the canine required.

RSPCA Queensland Senior Inspector Tracey Jackson said the agency was pleased with the sentence.

"This wasn't a case of the deliberate torture of an animal which sadly we see all too often these days," she said. "This was a brain snap and the offender needs professional help to assist him controlling his temper."