A puppy was allegedly drowned in a kitchen sink by its owner. SUBMITTED
A Margate man in KwaZulu Natal has been charged with animal cruelty after allegedly drowning a four-week-old puppy in his kitchen sink.
The man is believed to have committed this atrocity to silence the crying puppy after it was nipped by its mother, South Coast Herald reported.
He then callously tossed the carcass into the trash outside the property.
After receiving a tip-off, Lower South Coast SPCA trainee officer Liesl Bolton visited the home, where she confiscated the mother and her four remaining puppies.
The animals are currently housed at the SPCA.
A basic postmortem performed on the puppy by SPCA veterinarian Dr Carl Nehore found the following:
* On external examination, the puppy’s coat was completely wet, and a minor 2mm laceration was noted on the cranium with a minimal amount of blood visible.
* A serosanguinous discharge (containing or relating to both blood and the liquid part of blood) was noted from both nostrils.
* The pup had been in good condition.
Police spokesperson Captain Gerald Mfeka confirmed a case of animal cruelty had been opened at the Margate police station and police were investigating.
Examination of the remaining four puppies and their mother by Dr Nehore revealed that they were all bright and alert. The puppies were, however, diagnosed with lower respiratory infection and were placed on a course of antibiotics with daily monitoring.
The report added the puppies were born in a secluded, possibly waterlogged, area that could have led to the infection.
Michael Muller, manager of the LSC SPCA, said there was no excuse for the killing.
“This is a properly educated man, physically and financially capable of taking the puppy to the SPCA or to a private vet.
“An uneducated person might not have known better, but in this case, there is just no excuse for this kind of shocking behaviour. We will definitely be taking this further.”
Please be the eyes and ears for those animals who suffer from abuse or neglect by calling 039-312-0962 or 039-317-3362.
The 24-hour number is 083 2226355 and the new telephone system allows for you to be transferred to the emergency line.
– Caxton News Service
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