Animal cruelty punishable offence

THE Malvern SAPS has issued a statement of warning against keeping pets with no means of taking care of them. In the past few months, three cases of animal cruelty were opened at the police station, where the perpetrators were made to face serious consequences.

In an ongoing case, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) filed a case against a man from Malvern who allegedly chained up a dog with no access to food and water, and as a result it had started to eat its paws. The man has not as yet been sentenced as the trial in this matter is still ongoing.

In August last year, a case of animal cruelty was reported by the SPCA where a lady had a number of pets on her property and found that the animals were kept in unsatisfactory conditions.

In another case, a lady kept three dogs in a diseased state with no treatment, and she was arrested and charged.

The acting Station Commander, Captain Alvin Thomas, said that the convictions were testimony to the intense work put in by his colleagues. Corporate Communication Officer of SAPS Malvern, W/O Radhika Marimuthu, compiled a list of caution for people keeping pets with the following hints, advice and warnings:

– If can do not have the means to take care of pets, do not keep them.

– If you do not have the wellbeing of a pet at heart, don’t even think of keeping one.

– If there is no compassion, human kindness, love and mercy in you then don’t even think about a pet at all.

– Pets look to their owners for love, kindness and affection and they cannot complain if an injustice is done to them.

– Even if an injustice is done to them, pets still have love in their hearts.

– If you are an animal hoarder, seek treatment.

SAPS Malvern works very closely with the SPCA and other animal organisations to curb animal cruelty. Offenders guilty of cruelty to animals will be prosecuted to the full length of the law.

Malvern SAPS can be contacted on 031 489 9619 / 031 489 9620 / 031 489 9630.