A 19-year-old man accused of butchering a family pet in Brakpan Central was released on warning in lieu of bail following his recent appearance in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court.
The man was arrested on charges of animal cruelty following a disturbing incident on Tuesday evening, last week, in which a Chihuahua-type dog was mutilated and tortured.
Read the previous story here: Family pet decapitated: suspect to appear in court
The alleged culprit is a family member of the dog’s owner.
The little dog was decapitated and suffered as many as 60 stab wounds.
General manager of the Brakpan SPCA, inspector Shiven Bodasing, described the scene as “bone-chilling”.
The story caused a stir on the Herald’s Facebook page with commentators calling for the harshest punishment possible to be imposed on the culprit.
The suspect appeared in court on Thursday, last week, and the case was postponed to February 22.
Report animal abuse
The SPCA is determined to protect those who cannot protect themselves and Bodasing warned the community that animal abuse will not be tolerated.
“If we can be abhorrently cruel, torture and neglect innocent and voiceless sentient beings within our community, what stops us from progressing into a complete societal state of apathy?” he asked.
“We want to make it clear that should suspects be found or should complaints be alleged of animal cruelty, the Brakpan SPCA will take this very seriously.”
Bodasing explained offenders can face 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine.
He urged residents to report incidents of animal cruelty and gave his assurance that complainants’ information is never divulged.
“It is your obligation to report; even if its just a suspected neglect case, please report it so we can investigate and ensure the animals do not suffer,” he added.
The SPCA can be contacted on 011 742 2007.
Also read: Show the SPCA animals some love this Valentine’s Day
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