Organisation needs help to find west dog shooter
“Anyone who may have more information should contact us as soon as possible.”
An animal welfare organisation from Pretoria is appealing to the community to help track down the culprits in two animal cruelty cases in the west of Pretoria.
This follows after Scar Second Chance Animal Rescue joined the investigations into these cases.
One of the latest cases they were investigating was that of a dog that was shot.
“We ask for any assistance to track down the guilty parties,” said one of the founders of the organisation, Mandie Surman.
“Anyone who may have more information should contact us as soon as possible.”
She said people did not supply them with enough information.
“The only information we received was that the dog had been in other fights in the street in the past,” said Surman.
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“But that still does not give the person the right to shoot the dog.
“It also seems as if people did not want to talk about the case.”
The dog was shot on 2 July in Van Riebeeck Street, Daspoort.
“About seven other people pulled over at a property where the dog in question was fighting with the dogs [belonging to the owners of the property],” she said.
“[One of these people] walked up to the dog and – on someone else’s property – shot the dog.
“Another man then approached, kicked the dog and dragged him away.”
She said this man told the owner of the property to “calm down” as it was “his” dog.
Mandie’s husband, Tim – who works with her at Scar Second Chance Animal Rescue – said the dog did not immediately die after being shot, “which means that it was left in pain”.
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“The fact that the dog lay down on its back and wagged its tail after it was shot, signalled submission.”
The organisation is also investigating a suspected dog-fighting ring in the area.
“Legally, we have the same rights as a normal citizen, but we are trying to assist the police to track the perpetrators,” Tim said.
“The police already has their hands full with regular cases, so we try to help where we can.”
The organisation has also been helping to sterilise animals for the past four years.
They hold sterilisation days twice a month in an effort to help animals in need.
Surman said the sterilisations are not offered as a free service, but adds that it was being done at an affordable price.
“It is extremely important that a dog or cat be sterilised as soon as possible to prevent it from breeding,” she said.
The organisation’s last sterilisation day took place this past Sunday.
“The day was a huge success,” Surman said.
Surman said they held their sterilisation days on Sundays to make it easier for people with full-time jobs to make use of the opportunity.
ALSO READ: West police probe shooting of 3 dogs
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