After he allegedly beat them to death it is believed he threw them down a long drop.
Durban – A South Coast man is expected to appear before the Izingolweni Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday charges of animal cruelty.
Mthobisi Mkhanya, 22, who was arrested last week, was denied bail.
He is alleged to have beaten a puppy and a cat to death before throwing them down a long drop (toilet).
Werner Taljaard, an inspector with the lower South Coast SPCA, said he took the animals to the vet after
pulling them from a pit, after receiving a report from a neighbouring resident.
“The complainant said a young boy had beaten a puppy and a cat to death. We responded and when I arrived at the police station the police already knew about the situation because the complainant apparently made a case of intimidation as well. I went out to the property with police,” he said.
Taljaard said, when they arrived at the property, the police went in first and arrested a man.
“When it was safe for us to go and gather evidence, the police called me and we went out and police indicated to me that the accused had thrown the animals down the long drop.
“He didn’t want to speak, so I couldn’t get any information from him as to why he did it,” he said.
“Then I took the carcasses to a vet for a post-mortem and it was proven that the animals were beaten to death.
“The puppy was about four to
five months old and a cross-breed female. All its ribs on the right were broken, and the right back leg and right front leg were broken,” Taljaard said.
The cat didn’t have signs of broken bones but displayed signs of suffocation.
“The matter is still under investigation. We are still in the process of gathering more evidence, working together with the SAPS so that we may get a conviction,” said Taljaard.
Annamarie Koen, an inspector with the Animal Anti-Cruelty League, in Ladysmith, said any act of animal cruelty should be punished.
Koen said the fact that Mkhanya was denied bail spoke volumes about the issue of animal cruelty.
“We try to educate people about animal rights because animals cannot speak for themselves and any cruelty directed at them is unfair. Tougher penalties need to be handed out for a strong message to be sent to those who are cruel to animals,” she said.
KZN police spokesperson Nqobile Gwala said Mkhanya was also charged with intimidation, for allegedly intimidating the complainant.
Daily News
