GRAPHIC CONTENT: Injured pit bulls found dumped in Terenure
The discovery of these two animals came amidst the NSPCA’s special investigations unit's successful raid on a dog fighting operation
TWO pit bulls, believed to have been injured in a dog fight, were found abandoned in Terenure on Sunday morning.
Residents called Kempton Park SPCA, who then removed the animals and took them to a vet. One dog was so severely injured it had to be put down by the vet.
The other is still in the care of the SPCA but is not doing well, Jan du Toit, manager of the SPCA, told EXPRESS on Wednesday morning.
Du Toit said although there was no real evidence that the animals’ injuries were caused during a dog fight, it was certainly very possible. The dog put down had a deep open wound on its neck.
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The discovery of these two animals came amid the NSPCA’s Special Investigations Unit’s successful raid on a dog fighting operation in Dobsonville in Soweto on Saturday. Nine severely injured dogs were rescued and 10 people were arrested.
In a statement issued on Monday, the NSPCA said they were accompanied to the scene by the police. A group of people had converged in a secluded veld and fighting was underway with dogs. Dog fighters fled, abandoning their dogs. They were pursued and apprehended by the police officers.
The NSPCA intervened immediately to separate the dogs that were still engaged in fighting and provided emergency care for dogs that had been severely injured in earlier fights.
Dogs were found in a state of collapse, some suffering from broken legs, blood loss, shock and dehydration. The injured animals were removed from the scene and taken for veterinary assessment. Sadly some of these brutalised dogs did not survive. The remaining dogs are undergoing veterinary treatment and will remain under the control of the NSPCA for safekeeping.
Criminal charges have been laid in terms of the Animals Protection Act No.71 of 1962 against those arrested.
The public is assured that the case will be pursued to its full extent.
The NSPCA said there was a possibility that the dogs involved had been stolen. An appeal is therefore made for anyone whose pit bull is missing, especially if stolen in the Soweto or Greater Johannesburg area, to contact the NSPCA’s Special Investigations Unit with a photograph of the missing dog. Email details to specialinvestigations1@nspca.co.za so they can check against the dogs seized during the raid.
The NSPCA will under no circumstances reveal the identity of an informant so the public may come forward with information with confidence in this regard.
