South Africa: Owner of two neglected Boerboels, that had to be euthanized, gets two-year probation sentence

SOUTH AFRICA -- A Roodepoort resident recently appeared in court on charges of animal cruelty.

Known only as Mr Radebe, the accused was found guilty on all charges, received a R1 000 fine and a two-year suspended sentence. He was also denied the right to own any animal for two years.

A male and female Boerboel was found on the owner’s premises by Senior SPCA Inspector Eric Taljaard in a very neglected condition. The inspector investigated the property, left two warnings for the owner and instructed him to take the dogs to the vet for treatment.

The owner told Taljaard to mind his own business and refused to heed the inspector’s advice, saying there was nothing wrong with his dogs.

A warrant was then obtained to remove the two dogs from the premises. When Taljaard went to confiscate the dogs, they were found in filthy cages with inadequate shelter and no water.

The dogs were both approximately six years old and both had severely infected pressure sores.

The female was found to be suffering from mammary cancer, a swollen cherry eye, bite wounds to her face and neck, and pressure sores on her hock, elbow and hip bones.

The male was found to have broken, worn-down teeth, pressure sores on the elbows, hock and hip bones, and fleshy masses covering his hip bones. Another growth that was found below his jaw on the right could have been caused by trauma or infection. There were numerous wart-like growths on the tip of his tail and the skin of the entire tail was thickening. His ears were infected and full of pus and there were also bite wounds on his neck and face.

Unfortunately, both dogs had to be euthanised due to their many injuries.

Mandy Cattanach, the manager of the Roodepoort SPCA says that although Radebe got away with a very light sentence, it seems that the court is at last taking animals cruelty cases more seriously.

(Roodepoort Record - June 20, 2016)