The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) is concerned that ten dog fighting cases will not be prosecuted, after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) found that evidence in the South African Police Service (SAPS) investigation had been mishandled, seized exhibits were not analysed, and witness statements were incomplete.
In a letter dated 29 October 2026, between eight and 11 years after the cases were opened, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions for the Gauteng Local Division of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) found “no reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution” and declined to prosecute any person in the ten cases.
According to the NPA, several investigating officers handled the cases over the years, and there were “instances of mismanagement and mishandling of evidence”. The problems the NPA set out include:
- Medication seized in some of the cases was sent to the wrong section of the Forensic Science Laboratory and was not analysed. There is no chain-of-custody documentation for these exhibits.
- Other exhibits were not analysed because they were packaged incorrectly.
- Cellphone records applied for during the investigation were misplaced. More than 36 months have passed, so the records can no longer be applied for again.
- The collection and content of witness statements in several cases had gaps.
A suspect in one of the cases have since died.
“Like any crime, dog fighting cases are won or lost on evidence”, says Senior Inspector De Klerk, Manager of the Special Projects Unit. “The dogs used in these fights suffered, and no one will answer for it. It is incredibly disappointing.”
The NSPCA does not dispute the NPA’s decision, which reflects SAPS’ handling of the cases. Animal cruelty is a criminal offence, and the NSPCA expects SAPS to collect, package, and track exhibits in these cases with the same care as in any other criminal investigation. Without that, the work of Inspectors and investigating officers will not reach court.
We call on the SAPS to account for what went wrong in these ten cases and to hold responsible those whose failures caused them to collapse.
Dog fighting is a serious crime. Anyone with information about dog fighting can contact the NSPCA on 011 907 3590 or nspca@nspca.co.za, or their nearest SPCA.
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