Animal cruelty case against pet sitters is remanded until June for further investigation
THE case of alleged animal cruelty against two pet-sitters from Hermanus has been remanded until June 11 for further investigation.
The accused made their second appearance at the Hermanus Magistrate’s Court on Monday after the Cape of Good Hope (COGH) SPCA opened an animal cruelty case last month.
The sitters were seen on video beating a dog named Hector with an object and throwing the animal out of an open door, prompting the SPCA to launch an investigation.
The incident was reported to have taken place on March 22 and the owner of the puppy only became aware of the matter when the CCTV footage was watched afterwards.
The footage has since been widely circulated on social media.
The pet sitters made their first appearance on March 29 where the case was postponed for further investigation and for the accused to appoint legal representation.
SPCA’s chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse, made the trip to Hermanus again on Monday to represent Hector, who the organisation said was a victim at the very hands of those meant to care for him.
“Our thanks to Zelda la Grange and the Hermanus community for standing with us in the fight for justice for Hector.
“It was a heart-warming moment to see around 50+ people adding their voice to ours,” the SPCA said in a statement.
On their social media page, the dog’s owners posted that: “The accused had obtained legal representation, however, the matter has again been postponed for further investigation.”
To report animal cruelty contact Law Enforcement on 021 596 1999 or the COGH SPCA on 021 700 4158/9.