A man from Phagameng, Modimolle, was caught unaware by members of the Modimolle police and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty against Animals (SPCA) when they visited his premises on Tuesday 9 April.
On this occasion the SPCA confiscated 22 terrier type dogs, two pigs and three tortoises allegedly kept in horrific circumstances. The dogs were allegedly used in illegal dog fights.
Members of the SPCA said that this operation was the result of information that was forthcoming from members of the public.
They have investigated many leads on dog fighting in the past but were never successful with an arrest due to poor information.
In a recount of the rescue mission, the SPCA wrote that these events brought tears to trainee Inspector Ayanda Ngcofe’s eyes. Spiderman the Pitbull stared up nervously at his rescuers from
where he was curled up in the mud.
The injuries and infections deep into his ears made it difficult for him to hear and his injured eye impaired his vision. At Ngcofe’s whistle, Lady, a
chained Pitbull cross, cautiously wagged her tail and her sister Sassy crawled out of a dark corner in their enclosure.
The two frightened, starved and tick infested dogs trusted Ngcofe enough to let her gather up their surviving pups and follow her to safety.
The animals’ open wounds and horrific scars told the story of dogs that were not only allegedly victims of dog fighting but also of being pitted against wild pigs in illegal hunting and
fighting.
The man, who has not been named yet, will appear again in the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday 17 April on various charges. He remained in custody after his arrest.
According to the SPCA this case is yet another clear illustration that the abuse of one animal not only indicates the likely abuse of other vulnerable animals but also indicative of the
existence of additional criminal activity. The impact of dog fighting in a community is so severe it can leave lasting scars on a person’s disposition.
Children are very vulnerable to the cruelty.
Being exposed to such cruelty can influence their empathy and can make them more susceptible to violent and callous behaviour later in life. Abuse against woman and children could
increase when family members are often exposed to such negative and cruel behaviour.
An urgent appeal was made to all members of the community to eradicate dog fights from our society.
If and when a member of the public are confronted by such actions, they must call on their local police station to report the incident or they can call the SPCA on tel. (011) 907 3590 or send an e-mail to nspca@nspca.co.za(.) A person can remain anonymous when reporting on these atrocious events. There is a reward system in place at the SPCA for reporting animal cruelty.
— The BEAT
