WARNING: THIS BLOG CONTAINS GRAPHIC DETAILS
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA and the Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch (AWSS) expressed outrage following an incident of animal cruelty, where two dogs were found hanged in a bush near Bottelary Road en route to Stellenbosch.
The AWSS said it received a complaint on 24 October 2023, and
immediately dispatched an Inspector to the scene, and the gruesome sight that
greeted him left him extremely disturbed. Two innocent dogs were found hanging
from trees, their necks cruelly constricted by tight wire nooses.
According to an independent eyewitness account, that spoke
to AWSS, two men were seen leaving their parked vehicle, crossing the road with
the two dogs, entering the nearby bushes, and returning without them. In
response to an enquiry into the dogs’ whereabouts, one of the men callously
admitted to killing them.
Feeling unsafe and shocked by this, the witness left the
scene and then reported the incident.
Another witness, equally traumatised by the gruesome
discovery, attested in a sworn affidavit to the following:
“What I saw was the most cruel and heartbreaking scene that
I have ever seen in my life. I found both dogs hanging in the trees, with wire
wound tightly around their necks. I touched both bodies to see if they were
still alive, but they were already dead. Both their bodies were still warm to
my touch, which I believe indicates that the dogs did not die too long before
my arrival.”
In response to the incident, AWSS reached out to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA for collaboration in conducting a thorough investigation and pursuing criminal charges.
“The Cape of Good Hope Inspectorate conduct thousands of
animal cruelty investigations annually. We wanted to ensure the best possible
chance of a guilty verdict and the harshest possible sentence in this matter
and we thank the SPCA for lending their valuable experience to this
investigation,” says Jessica Perrins, General Manager of AWS Stellenbosch.
On Thursday, 26 October 2023, after tracing the identities of the two suspects, Inspectors from both the SPCA and AWSS, accompanied by the City of Cape Town Law Enforcement: Animal Control Unit, visited the property of the individuals suspected of this heinous and unnecessary act to conduct a full investigation and afford them an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Shockingly, the owner of the dogs, a 46-year-old woman, admitted to instructing her husband and son to kill their family pets, alleging that the dogs were ill. Her son also confirmed his involvement in the events, and both provided sworn affidavits detailing their actions.
‘’The mother and son showed no remorse or regret for their heinous actions. They readily agreed to surrender their remaining dog which was discovered by the team on the property during their investigation. The dog has been taken into the care of the SPCA,’’ said Jaco Pieterse, Chief Inspector of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.
PICTURE - Cape of Goodhope SPCA: Remaining dog rescued
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has since laid criminal charges
of animal cruelty against the three suspects at the Stellenbosch South African
Police Service, where they have since appeared in court on 30 October 2023,
where they were set to apply for bail, which the SPCA and AWSS indicated that
they will be opposing.
PICTURE: Cape of Goodhope SPCA“This heinous act of animal cruelty triggered rage and
shock, and we are determined to bring those responsible for this shocking crime
to justice,” says Jessica Perrins, AWSS General Manager
Jaco Pieterse, Chief Inspector of the Cape of Good Hope
SPCA says, “every act of cruelty towards an animal is a stain on our humanity.
We all need to stand together if we ever hope to win the war against it. By
working with AWSS, we can ensure that acts like these are met with the full
force of the law as a frontline deterrent to perpetrators. The Cape of Good
Hope SPCA remains committed to our mission of a kinder world for animals and we
welcome the opportunity to guide the AWSS team.”
Done By: Mitchum George
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