On the evening of Friday, 22 June 2018, into the morning of Saturday, 23 June 2018, NSPCA Inspectors were hard at work in the Atteridgeville community of Pretoria. Acting on information received from concerned community members; the NSPCA, supported by members from the South African Police Services, raided an organised dog fight in progress.
The dog fighters had gathered in an isolated area where they thought they were safe from detection. Two dogs were writhing on the grass in a bloody battle while the dog fighters and spectators laughed and shouted to the dogs. In this moment the NSPCA Inspectors and SAPS members stormed in. 6 people were arrested and remain in police custody.
14 dogs in total were rescued in this operation and were taken to places of safety.
Senior Inspector Willson, the Manager of the Special Investigations Unit, described the scene: “It was chilling to see the callousness of these men and the delight they took in watching and encouraging these dogs to rip each other apart”.
Community members were supportive and thanked us for acting to keep their community safe. Our special thanks to members of the Pretoria K9 Delta Relief and the Biological dog handlers for their swift decisive actions in apprehending these criminals.
Charges of animal cruelty and dog fighting have been laid against the accused who appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate Court this morning and they remain in custody. This is the second time that the NSPCA have had a case of this nature in the Atteridgeville Magistrate Court. This previous case resulted in a successful guilty conviction and jail time for all those convicted. The NSPCA believe that this case will have a similarly successful outcome and that once again there will be justice served for these animal victims.
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