Pet poisoning a serious offence – police
A family woke up to the tragic death of their beloved cat on Monday morning, which they believe was the result of poisoning
POLOKWANE – The cat owner said she found the carcass of the six-year-old Sugar Man, as the called was affectionately known, on her way to work.
“I had no chance to revive him, and I could not even give him any assistance or take him to the veterinarian. Upon investigation, my husband found that the cat had been poisoned,” she said.
“I cannot understand why this happened; he never bothered anyone and now he was killed in this horrible way.”
To prevent the spread of the poison, Sugar Man’s carcass had to burned. “Because of this, we do not have a place to grieve for him.”
According to Polokwane police spokesperson, Capt Ntobeng Phala, the cat’s killing could possibly be linked to house robberies.
He said in the past, there had been poisoning of pets, and the homes robbed a few days later.
“The poison is usually meant for the dogs, but in many cases, the cats end up consuming the poisoned food. The poisoning of animals is a serious offence and can carry heavy fines and even prison time if convicted,” said Phala.
“We urge the public to report these cases. Offenders will be arrested and face charges of cruelty to animals.”
SPCA inspector, Moloko Manaka told Review that the SPCA was against the poisoning of animals as it was considered as animal cruelty.
In the case of a poisoning, she advised residents to take the pets to a veterinarian.
“Even if the animal died, an autopsy has to be done to see what poison was used. This will assist the SPCA and the police in the fight against cruelty to animals and the prevention of crime.”
