Pets tied up and abandoned
Two dogs tied up and abandoned at a townhouse in Greenstone last week were groomed for dog fights.
While neither of the Pit Bull Terriers showed aggression when they were rescued, and also showed no signs of injuries, they had both been ‘cropped’, which suggests otherwise.
According to neighbours, the owners of the dogs moved out of the complex unit on Saturday last week, leaving the dogs behind.
On Wednesday afternoon, Chaplain Vaughn Grantham was called to the house when it was evident the owners would not return for the animals.
Cropping is the term used for cutting off part, or all, of a dog’s ears while docking is cutting off the tail.
In South Africa, it is against the law to dock or crop.
The two animals were removed from the property and taken to the veterinary practise of Dr Shabeer Bhoola in Terrace Road, where they underwent treatment.
On Thursday, Dr Bhoola confirmed that the two dogs were doing well.
“There is no question that these two dogs were cropped for dog fights,” said Dr Bhoola.
“It is illegal to crop and dock. No veterinarian will do the procedure and therefore breeders, and those who have show dogs, turn to having it done in a backyard,” he said.
“The crops done on the two dogs are very different from the fancy crops done by breeders and those seen in rap videos. Crops for dog fights are carried out to prevent the dog’s ears from being ripped off in a fight,” said Dr Bhoola.
Cropping done in backyards causes the animals to suffer immensely.
“They do not have access to the medications used in veterinary practises and simply hold the dogs down and cut off their ears,” said Dr Bhoola.
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