Arrest made in Goodwood kitten dumping incident, one dies after being run over
One kitten died after three were dumped onto a Goodwood road from a bakkie, an incident captured on CCTV that led to the arrest of a suspect.
Image: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
A suspect has been arrested in connection with a disturbing animal cruelty incident in Goodwood where three kittens were dumped onto a road from a bakkie, with one dying after being run over.
The incident, captured on CCTV on January 30, prompted a rapid investigation by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA that led to the arrest of a suspect and the identification of a second person believed to have left the country.
According to the SPCA, the footage shows a white bakkie pulling over before a passenger climbs out, reaches into the load bed and repeatedly drops the kittens onto the tar. The vehicle then drives away.
One of the kittens was later run over.
The SPCA said its inspectorate began a coordinated investigation within hours of receiving the footage. Investigators traced the vehicle registration, contacted witnesses and secured formal affidavits.
The body of the deceased kitten was collected and taken for a postmortem examination, while the two surviving kittens were rescued and placed in the SPCA’s care.
The investigation gained momentum when a neighbour recognised the vehicle and provided inspectors with a photograph of it parked at a nearby residence. The registration number matched the one seen on the CCTV footage, helping investigators identify the vehicle’s driver.
On February 13, the identified driver indicated that he wished to meet an SPCA inspector at Goodwood police station. Inspectors arrived with a completed case file for formal submission and a case was opened.
A suspect was arrested for alleged contraventions of the Animals Protection Act No. 71 of 1962.
Information received later the same day led to the identification of a second suspect, who remains at large and is believed to have left the country.
The SPCA said the two surviving kittens have since been adopted by the Effendi family and are now thriving in their new home.