"ANIMAL CRUELTY IS NOT CONTENT": MP SLAMS LENIENT SENTENCE OVER SWAN VAPING INCIDENT
Animal Justice Party MP Amanda Dorn condemns the four-month community-based order handed down in Mandurah, revealing that two native swans ultimately perished in the shocking social media stunt
Wade McColl (05/09/2026)
Animal Justice Party MP Amanda Dorn (P-L), Black Swan (P-R). Photos Supplied.
Animal Justice Party MP Amanda Dorn has issued a blistering condemnation of the justice system following the sentencing of a 16-year-old boy involved in a sickening animal abuse case in Mandurah.
The teenager, who pleaded guilty in the Rockingham Children's Court to causing an animal unnecessary harm, was handed a four-month community-based order after forcing a native black swan to inhale vape fumes. Dorn publicly expressed that she is deeply disappointed by the outcome, stating the sentence is absolutely insufficient given the level of cruelty inflicted purely to show off.
The True Cost of the Cruelty
One of the teenager’s leaving the Children's Court surrounded by media. Photo Supplied.
While the viral video sparked immediate community outrage, the full extent of the incident proved far more tragic than initially reported.
Dorn confirmed that not one, but two swans were abused and ultimately died during the incident, with the body of another swan discovered in bushes nearby. The court previously heard one bird was slapped across the head, became unresponsive, and was discarded in bushland at Len Howard Conservation Park, while the cruelty was driven by a desire to rack up Snapchat streaks.
A Dangerous Online Trend
A screenshot from the disturbing video showing the teenagers on an inflatable boat forcing the pink vape into the swan's beak. Photo Supplied.
For Dorn and animal welfare advocates, this case highlights a much deeper issue regarding youth behavior and online validation.
The MP warned of a horrifying trend of animal cruelty committed by young people, questioning what drives a youth to deliberately hurt a defenseless animal for entertainment, social media clout, or to impress a friend.
Calls for Harsher Penalties
One of the teenager’s leaving the Children's Court surrounded by media. Photo Supplied.
Despite the magistrate labelling the teenager's actions as a graphic and awful error in judgment, Dorn emphasized that this ruling was a critical opportunity for the justice system to demonstrate that violence towards animals will not be tolerated in the community.
The Animal Justice Party is now vowing to fight for stronger legislation and penalties that provide a genuine deterrent. As Dorn summarized, animals are not props; their suffering should never be entertainment, and animal cruelty is not content; it is violence.