The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) will be laying charges of animal cruelty against a man from Newcastle, KZN, after investigations revealed that he abused five dogs.

In early January, Bethlehem SPCA received a complaint regarding two dogs that appeared to have been abandoned at a factory in the Free State.

The NSPCA said what Bethlehem SPCA found at the time of their inspection was a clear case of animal cruelty and suffering, and a warrant was immediately obtained to remove the animals.

“One of the dogs was found locked inside the building, with no way out. The dog was extremely weak and emaciated, and could barely lift up his head as his rescuers worked to remove him.

“There was no food, no water, and the room was covered in a build-up of old faeces and urine. In the days that he was locked alone in that room, starving and growing weaker, this dog would have experienced the worst kind of betrayal from the human race,” said the NSPCA.

Sadly, the animal council said the second dog could not be rescued. He was found locked inside a vehicle, and had already died.

“With temperatures reaching over 35°C, not only would this dog have suffocated in the car, he would have been cooked alive and died a slow and painful death.

“Viewing the carcass and evidence of the scene was hair-raising as it painted a clear picture of how severely the dog suffered and died.”

Owner traced to Newcastle, four more dogs rescued

The case was forwarded to the NSPCA Special Investigations Unit for further investigation and the owner was traced to a property in Newcastle, KZN.

The NSPCA said another warrant was obtained and, along with members from the SAPS, an inspection was undertaken at the owner’s property.

“Three Dogo Argentino breed dogs were found at his home. Two of the dogs were emaciated, and all three were permanently confined to small cages.

“In fact, the cages were sealed in such a manner that the owner couldn’t even open the cages to put food and water in for the dogs. He would simply throw the food through a gap in the fence – leaving the dogs to eat off the floor, in between a build-up of their own excrements.”

In addition to the dogs being emaciated, the NSPCA said one of the dogs was also suffering from severe and untreated fly-strike, a painful and sometimes fatal condition caused by flies laying their eggs on another animal.

All three dogs were removed by the NSPCA.

NSPCA senior inspector Nazareth Appalsamy said despite overwhelming evidence of blatant animal cruelty, the owner still attempted to deny any responsibility for the suffering of his animals.

“Each of these animals were helpless, and they didn’t deserve to suffer like this. No animal deserves to suffer like this.

“There are two relief points in this case – first is that we were able to rescue four of the five dogs before they met the same fate as the dog locked in the car. Second, is that our team is dedicated beyond measure to fight on behalf of these dogs, and ensure that their owner pays for what he did to them when we take him to court,” said Appalsamy.