A dog is said to be man’s best friend, but this did not ring true for a man who reportedly butchered his dog to death.

Over the weekend, inspectors of the SPCA Vereeniging & Vanderbijlpark responded to a complaint in Drumblade AH in De Deur outside Johannesburg where the alleged horrific act happened.

According to the SPCA’s Lycinda Visser, the floor next to the man’s mattress was full of blood, and a carcass of a dog was found butchered open with a broken glass bottle.

“The carcass was covered with a blanket,” Visser added.

When the inspectors removed the blanket, their worst nightmare came true when what was reported, actually happened. The inspectors also found some of the dog’s organs in a bucket.

Visser said the man claimed the dog was possessed.

“His clothes were full of blood, and his hands had several cuts from the broken glass bottle he used to butcher the dog. Our inspectors also rescued another dog from the property.”

SPCA sent the carcass of the butchered dog for post-mortem at a private veterinary facility.

The man was arrested and charges were laid in terms of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962.

He appeared in the Meyerton Magistrate’s Court on Monday to apply for bail. The case was postponed to Friday for the accused to formally apply for bail.

The SPCA has submitted an application for his bail to be denied.