Man arrested for allegedly setting his dog on fire. Pic: Supplied
Cape Town - A Pelican Park man is set to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court for allegedly setting his dog on fire amid a probe by the Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) SPCA.
The shocking discovery of the charred remains of the adult pitbull was made on Friday, as inspectors visited a scrapyard.
The visit followed warnings from the animal welfare organisation concerning the conditions of various animals on the property.
According to a statement by the SPCA, they were executing a warrant at the home of the 36-year-old man in an operation led by chief inspector Jaco Pieterse and inspector Jeffrey Mfini, supported by City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Animal Control Unit.
On arrival, they found farm animals trapped in inhumane conditions and confirmed the tragic death of the chained dog, its charred remains found in an open field—still shackled to the chain that had defined and ended his life.
“The SPCA team entered the property with a warrant issued under the Animals Protection Act, following repeated warnings to the owner about the poor welfare of confined farm animals and a chained dog. The scene was a nightmare. A maze of debris and ramshackle enclosures forced rescuers to crawl through tight spaces to reach animals suffering in extreme heat without access to water,” said Pieterse.
He said among the animals found was a sheep, emaciated and tied within a pen.
“She was carried to safety and fortunately showed immediate relief when she was placed in a vehicle filled with fresh oat hay. Chickens and ducks were removed from similar circumstances.
“Disturbingly, the team found evidence of a fire in the area where the dog had been confined. Suspicion turned to certainty when the owner, who initially said the dog had been moved, finally led them to an open field. There, the dog’s charred remains were found, wrapped in a blanket and still chained—his life and death marked by the same unforgiving restraint.”
Mfini was devastated and said he tried many times to improve the dog’s life as the owner had received warnings.
“I knew this dog. I had seen him on my visits, chained to the same spot, unable to move freely, yet still wagging his tail when we approached. We tried so many times to make his life better, to give him a chance at something more than that chain. To find him like this—burned, discarded, as though his life meant nothing—cuts deeper than words can express. He deserved so much more, and knowing we were too late will stay with me forever.”
The property owner was arrested for obstruction and remains in custody. He is expected to make his first court appearance today.