- A mother, father, and son from Kraaifontein were arrested and detained on criminal charges of animal cruelty following the brutal killing of two dogs.
- The dogs were found hanging from a tree, their necks constricted by tight wire nooses.
- A witness manage to capture a photo of the perpetrators’ vehicle’s registration number, which was traced to an address in Wallacedene.
A mother, father, and son from Kraaifontein were on Friday (27 October)arrested and detained on criminal charges of animal cruelty following the brutal killing of two dogs in Bottelary Road last week.
They were found hanging from a tree, their necks constricted by tight wire nooses.
A motorist was travelling along Bottelary Road on Tuesday (24 October) morning when he witnessed the two men pull the dogs on leashes towards the trees next to the road near a farm.
“I was on my way to Stellenbosch when I noted the white bakkie on the left-hand side of the road,” a woman whose identity is being protected related. “Two men each with a dog on were yanking them across the road,” the woman, whose identity is being protected, told TygerBurger.
“About 100 m on I turned around. I was alone and very upset. I waited by the bakkie and saw the men come back a few minutes later without the dogs. I asked them where the dogs were and they replied, ‘we killed them.’ The one man mumbled something about the dogs being old and they then drove away. I was horrified and didn’t know whom to contact. I was too scared to go and look alone.”
She contacted Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch (AWSS), and an inspector rushed to the scene where a grim scene awaited him.
Another witness, equally traumatised by the gruesome discovery, attested in an affidavit to the following: “What I saw was the most cruel and heartbreaking scene I have ever seen in my life. I found both dogs hanging from 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, so they could not have died too long before.”
The first witness was able to get a photo of the vehicle’s registration number, which was traced to an address in Wallacedene.
AWSS reported the case to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA who, accompanied by City of Cape Town Law Enforcement on Thursday, visited the property of the suspects to investigate.
“Shockingly, the owner of the dogs, a 46-year-old woman, admitted to instructing her husband and son to kill their family pets because they were ill,” said SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abrahams. “Her son also confirmed his involvement, and both provided sworn affidavits detailing their actions.”
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.”
On Friday 28 October criminal charges of animal cruelty, in terms of the Animals Protection Act, were formally laid against the three suspects at Stellenbosch Police Station, where they were detained until their court appearance in the Stellenbosch Magistrates’ Court on Monday (30 October), when the SPCA and AWSS opposed bail.
No bail amount was set, and the suspects were released on warning.
“The Cape of Good Hope SPCA and the Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch (AWSS) are committed to ensuring justice is served in this case,” said Jessica Perrins, AWSS general manager. “Both our organisations jointly condemn acts of cruelty against defenceless animals and remain dedicated to the protection and welfare of all animals in our community. This heinous act of animal cruelty has triggered rage and shock, and we are determined to bring those responsible for this shocking crime to justice.”
Jaco Pieterse, chief inspector of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, said: “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 acts such as these are met with the full force of the law as a frontline deterrent to perpetrators.”
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