Cape Town - The Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has filed criminal charges against three suspects, which led to their arrest, after a sting operation.
The animal organisation obtained information following a public appeal last Tuesday, through its Facebook channel.
This was after it was alerted to a woman's post in a local dog lover’s Facebook page.
Pictures showed her pitbull puppy with its ears and pictures of the animal after its ears had been maimed.
The organisation received information that a man was seen walking in the park with his dog, which had cropped ears.
An individual interacted with the man walking his dog, information was exchanged, and a puppy was taken to the man for its ears to be cropped.
According to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse, accompanied by Inspector Siviwe Noko and the City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Animal Control Unit, uncovered an illegal backyard operation in Lotus River.
It said this followed after Inspector Noko approached the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, for a court order to search the property.
The aim of this investigation was to establish if ear cropping was performed illegally on the property, and to search for any animal cruelty contraventions.
“Officials gained access to the property and found six dogs on short static chains. The dogs were kept in dirty and unhygienic living conditions, in contravention of Section 2(1)(e) and Section 2(1)(b) of the Animals Protection Act.
“Inspectors went into the house to search for evidence of paraphernalia associated with ear cropping.
“Scheduled drugs, as well as a toolbox containing suture material, medical scissors, and other equipment generally used for cropping of ears, were found.
“The majority of medications found were scheduled medicines and not for use without a prescription or the clinical oversight of a veterinarian or medical doctor,” the SPCA said.
Xyazine, a schedule 5 drug was found in the room. This drug is usually used by veterinarians as an anaesthetic.
Tramadol, a schedule 5 opioid, was also found in the toolbox.
Inspectors had to call in the police stationed in Grassy Park to assist them, as the situation became volatile.
Officers also removed the medication from the property, along with two cell phones – which were seized as evidence, as part of the investigation.
Cape of Good Hope SPCA filed charges against the trio for unlawful possession of scheduled medicines, for wilfully obstructing, hindering and/or resisting an officer authorised in terms of Section 8 of the Animals Protection Act, for keeping dogs on short static chains and in dirty parasitic conditions.
Charges were also filed for maiming dogs by cropping their ears, performing procedures only permitted to be performed by a registered veterinarian, and witnessing animal cruelty and failing to act or preventing the cruelty.
“In his sworn statement, Chief Inspector Pieterse stated that he informed the dog owners that the SPCA is going to seize the dogs, in terms of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962.
“The suspects became very aggressive and told Inspector Pieterse that he will not be taking their dogs.
“He was also informed by them that ’he will see what happens if he tries to take our dogs.’
“The owner of the property obstructed inspectors from performing their duty by locking the front door and would not allow Inspectors access to seize the dogs. “Police officers once again had to intervene to gain access to the property.
“A total of six dogs were seized,” the SPCA said.
The dogs seized were transported to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA facility in Grassy Park.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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