A 14-year-old boy subjected a hamster to a half-hour ordeal in which he put her in a freezer, a tumble-dryer and a washing machine before she died, a court heard yesterday.
The RSPCA described the teenager's treatment of the animal called Poppy as "an act of senseless cruelty against a defenceless animal".
The youth admitted causing unnecessary suffering to Poppy today and was given a 12-month supervision order as well as being banned from keeping any animals for four years.
Speaking after the hearing, RSPCA inspector Mike Pugh said: "What this boy did was horrendous. "It took over half an hour for the hamster to die, after first being frozen, heated in a revolving drum and finally drowned in the washing machine. She suffered severe pain and mental stress."
Mr Pugh said the animal had lesions to her feet and torn claws. A vet concluded these were most likely caused by frostbite, trying to climb out of the freezer or hang on to the inside of the dryer drum.
A post-mortem examination showed the hamster died of severe respiratory or cardiovascular damage.
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