Dog stoned to death in full view of public

The Louis Trichardt SPCA has laid criminal charges against a man from Muraleni (near Sinthumule) for allegedly stoning his dog to death.

According to local animal inspector Lawrence Khodobo, he received a call on Sunday afternoon, informing him that a man was busy stoning his own dog to death in the middle of the street, in full view of the public.

Khodobo rushed to the scene, but by the time he got there, the dog was already dead and its carcass dumped in some nearby bushes. The man was nowhere to be seen.

Khodobo took the dog to the Blouberg Animal Clinic in Louis Trichardt for a post-mortem examination. The animal had suffered severe injuries, including a crushed skull, broken bones and bruises. Apart from also being underfed and having a bad skin condition, Khodobo said the animal must have suffered tremendously.

Community members identified the suspect and Khodobo later laid charges of animal cruelty under the Animal Protection Act (Act 71 of 1962) against the man. The case was registered at the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS on Monday. At the time of going to press, it was not yet know if the suspect had been arrested and whether or not he had appeared in court.

Khodobo urged members of the public to contact the SPCA immediately, should they witness any act of cruelty to animals. He can be contacted at Tel 082 965 5151. Alternatively, the SPCA’s office number is 015 516 0427.

News - Date: 31 October 2011

Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

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