Uproar as Kempton Park SPCA ‘loses’ pit bull puppy
A worried dog owner thought his worries were over when told his dog was at the SPCA. They claim the dog escaped.
Edleen resident Mahluleli Mathiya says he refuses to believe Kempton Park SPCA’s claims that his puppy escaped from its kennels in December.
“I will not rest until I know my puppy is safe,” he told Express. “The SPCA is meant to keep animals safe.”
The story of Mathiya’s lost green-eyed, brown pit bull terrier Trooper (five months) caused an uproar among residents on social media during the holidays, with many expressing their dissatisfaction with the society, saying they would no longer support the SPCA.
Trooper was stolen on December 13 from Green Avenue and recovered the same day by Bonita du Plessis and Danielle Ribbink on Oleander Street. They spotted a man running with the dog on his back, which they found suspicious.
They were able to retrieve the dog but the suspect fled. Trooper was taken to the SPCA, from where he disappeared.
According to Kira Sparrow, manager of the SPCA, they believe the dog escaped from their kennels one evening during a storm and that it was an isolated incident. “Although the kennel itself is secure, if the locking mechanism isn’t properly locked, the dog may have gotten into the passage. We have discovered a hole he may have passed through,” Sparrow said in a statement.
Mathiya believes the SPCA was not truthful with him from the start.
“After seeing a post on social media that Trooper was found and taken to the SPCA, I went to see him on December 14.”
He supplied pictures and proof of ownership to the SPCA to prove that the dog was his. Mathiya said he was taken to see Trooper in the kennels but was met with an empty cage.
“Finally, they said they had forgotten that Trooper was vomiting blood, so they took him to an animal hospital.”
Mathiya went to the animal hospital, where they had no record of his dog. He called a second vet in the area, which also had no knowledge of Trooper.
“At that point, I went home, because the SPCA said they would call me on Monday (December 17) to retrieve Trooper.”
When they failed to call, Mathiya called them on December 18, but was told “to stay put”. Finally, he received a call on December 19, when the SPCA invited him to its premises.
“I was working, so my wife went. They told her they had made a mistake, Trooper was never taken to the vet. They assumed he escaped,” Mathiya recalled.
“How could he escape? I don’t even care if someone took him anymore. I just want to know if he is safe. What if someone is using him for dog fighting?” he asked, notably upset.
Sparrow said a case of possible theft was opened with the police and staff members were interviewed about their knowledge of the dog.
“Our staff has agreed to undergo polygraph testing if necessary,” she added.
Anyone with information about Trooper’s whereabouts is urged to call Mathiya on 076 479 1018. A reward will be given for the dog’s safe return.
