SPCA inspector seeks public help in disturbing dog cruelty case in Philippi
A piece of wire was wrapped around the dog's neck.
Image: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA is seeking public assistance after a mother dog was found dead in a canal in Brown’s Farm, Philippi, following a brutal act of cruelty.
A length of wire was twisted around her neck before she was discarded in the canal. Inspector Lwazi Ntungele discovered the dog still breathing but too weak to stand, having suffered for days.
Inspector Lwazi Ntungele from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA responded to a report and found the dog still breathing. Blood had pooled in her nostrils. She was too weak to stand, due to days of sustained suffering, and could not do more than register the presence of the inspector, who waded in to reach her. She tried, nonetheless.
The organisation named the dog Grace.
Image: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
"She tried to come to me. She knew I was there to help, but she was too weak,” Ntungele said.
A veterinarian subsequently determined that euthanasia was the only humane course of action. Grace, as she was named, was beyond help and was relieved of her suffering. The person responsible for inflicting it remains unidentified.
Grace was a Pitbull-type dog, adult in age, with a brown and white coat. She was medium to large in build, as is typical of the breed type, and her physical condition at the time of recovery, while severely compromised, was consistent with a dog that had been cared for, or at a minimum kept, in a domestic setting.
According to the SPCA, Grace’s body revealed many details from her past, which left them disturbed. Grace was used for breeding and then disposed of. That is the conclusion Inspectors are working from.
“The inference is as blunt as it is damning: once her utility ended, so did any consideration for her life,” Abraham said.
"This dog knew the person. There was trust there. That trust was broken. After being used for breeding, all she was left with was pain and suffering,” Ntungele said.
The positioning of the wire and the manner in which it was secured around Grace's neck are consistent with deliberate application. Inspectors assess that the act required time, proximity, and intent.
"Whoever did this took their time," Ntungele said.
Inspector Ntungele has served in animal welfare enforcement through cases that would test the resolve of the most seasoned professional; however, he stated that this was the worst he had encountered.
"This is the worst case of cruelty I have ever seen," he said.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has opened a formal cruelty case and is calling on anyone with information to come forward immediately. Inspectors are working to establish who owned her and who did this to her.
Inspectors believe Grace originated from Brown's Farm or its surrounding areas, and that those who knew her, or knew of her, may be within that community.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA guarantees that information shared with inspectors will be treated confidentially. No member of the public will be required to identify themselves publicly in order to assist this investigation.
To report information, contact the Cape of Good Hope SPCA Inspectorate directly at 021 700 4158/9.
Email: [email protected] or send a direct message via the organisation’s social media channels.