The brutal murder of a two-year-old Jack Russell whose body was found riddled with seven bullets in Buffelsdraai on Monday,15 May, has sparked outrage among residents and animal rights organisations who are calling for the suspect to be brought to book for this heinous act.
With animal abuse rapidly increasing in the area, organisation such as Stray Paws Animal Rescue are hoping that by taking a stand along with like organisations, they will be able to change eThekwini’s animal bylaws to become more stricter, preventing further “senseless killings of harmless animals”.
Speaking to the Tongaat and Verulam Tabloid, Shubnam Barans, who is the co-director of Stray Paws Animal Rescue, said the situation is absolutely sad that a small harmless dog was shot seven times by a human being.
She said: “This dog was too small to attack and kill anyone so there is no way that it can be said that it was self defence. The bylaws in eThekwini are too lenient and we have animal protection laws but they are not taken seriously by the police. Some people don’t even know that there are animal protection acts in place in this country. The courts also feel like it is a waste of time as it is an animal and they have so many other serious matters to deal with. I have taken matters up to court and we have gone right up to trial with one matter but unfortunately the prosecutors decided that they have more serious matters to deal with and they threw it out of court. The fact that we do not have strict bylaws, our animals are not protected and people feel like they can abuse and kill animals, knowing that the law will not do anything about it. As long as we have these bylaws people are going to continue attacking dogs and abuse these animals.”
Barans said she is hoping that the SPCA and all other animal rights organisations can take a stand against these abusers and that something can hopefully be done to prevent anymore cases from arising.
“If we stand together and call for stricter bylaws for our animals then maybe we can make a difference. In Cape Town, many organisations stood together and made a change, they now have stricter bylaws and it has made a huge difference in that area. We need to no longer over look situations such as these and we need to take these matters seriously. The suspect who did this is trigger happy and the fact that this isn’t being taken seriously is worrisome. If a person can do this to an animal the they can definitely do this to a human being and if people thought in those lines they will understand how serious these matters actually are,” added Barans.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) spokesperson, Prem Balram, said the owner of the dog contacted their office on Monday, 15 May, requesting assistance for his beloved pet.
He said: “According to the man, he went in search of his canine on Sunday morning, 14 May, after he was unable to locate the dog in the yard. He later discovered its bullet riddled remains approximately 200 metres away from his property. The dog was shot seven times.”
Balram added that if anyone has information regarding the person responsible for the shooting, kindly contact Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) on 086 1234 333.
Durban and Coast SPCA, Marketing Manager, Tanya Fleischer, said the Animals Protection Act empowers SPCA Inspectors to instigate legal action against abusive and neglectful owners. She said if found guilty, the perpetrator could face up to three years imprisonment and/or a fine of R60 000.
“In terms of reporting cruelty, our inspectors are on call 24-hours a day, seven days a week, responding to hundreds of reports of cruelty and neglect every month. Whether the animals are domestic pets, farm livestock or wildlife, every case is investigated thoroughly. Inspectors also respond to calls for help from owners whose pets get trapped in drains, between fences and up trees. They conduct routine checks on pet shops, security firms, abattoirs, hatcheries and circuses and monitor
livestock transportation,” said Fleischer.
She added that the SPCA encourages all members of the public to act as eyes and ears of SPCA and report any suspicious activity by calling 031 579 6501 or 083 212 6103 (after hour’s emergencies).
She added that callers can remain anonymous however should refrain from posting on social media as the SPCA cannot respond on the platforms.
