Couple jailed for torturing 14-week-old puppy to death

Key points

• A Western Australian couple have been jailed for torturing a bull terrier puppy to death. Nathan James Dekkers, 26, was sentenced to 11 months in jail and Isabel Maree Busher, also 26, to eight months at the Bunbury Magistrates Court.
• Both admitted to more than a dozen animal cruelty charges over the puppy, Douglas, in Busselton in late 2024. A neighbour recorded audio of the abuse.
• The couple are permanently banned from owning animals and will be eligible for parole after serving half their sentences. The RSPCA described the case as one of the worst it has seen.