VANDERBIJLPARK.- Charges of animal cruelty and charges of intent to cause grievous harm have been laid against a suspect at the Bophelong police station.

This comes after an SPCA inspector attempting to rescue a puppy was attacked in Bophelong at Vanderbijlpark on Monday.

According to a statement by the Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging SPCA, on Monday morning they received an anonymous complaint about a man who had a small puppy tied up in his backyard and was abusing the dog daily.

The animal welfare said: “This had been going and the complainant, although terrified that we would disclose her/ his identity, couldn’t listen to the pitiful wailing of the dog anymore. The complainant alleged that amongst other things the owner had poured boiling water over the dog.”

“It was early afternoon when Inspector Lycinda Visser arrived at the address given to us earlier in the day. She knocked and knocked but there was no answer. As with all the houses in that area, there is no fencing and the house was located on a busy thoroughfare so Inspector Lycinda Visser walked around the house to see where the puppy was.”

What Visser saw in the area adjacent to the house nearly broke her heart.

“A Labrador cross puppy was tied up in the sun, on a very short chain with no shelter or water near it. The puppy was in dire need of help Inspector Visser could see burn wounds on the puppy from where she was standing. There were people there and Inspector Visser asked where the owner was. They said he wasn’t there and Inspector Visser informed them that she was going to take the puppy.”

“She made a decision to immediately confiscate the dog and at first contact, the little pup cowered and cried out when Inspector Visser started removing the chain. The little thing was so scared it wet itself. Inspector Visser removed the pup and was making her way to her vehicle when suddenly the front door of the house was flung open and a crazed man stormed her. He grabbed the pup out of her hands, threw it 2 meters up in the air against the house wall and slammed Inspector Visser’s face into the wall. He was full of rage and there was no way she could have had a conversation with him. His mother came out and tried to diffuse the situation but didn’t succeed. Desperate times call for desperate measures and as this is not Inspector Visser’s first rodeo she immediately kept her wits about her, grabbed the pup and fled to the safety of her vehicle.”

The puppy was taken to Three Rivers Veterinary Clinic for a full checkup.

She stayed over there Monday and Tuesday night as her tail has to be amputated on Tuesday morning.

The suspect had tied an elastic band to the puppy’s tail and it was highly infected.

The puppy’s body shows signs of continuous abuse.