A piece of wire was wrapped around the dog's neck.
Image: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
The Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is encouraging the public to come forward with any information after a deliberate act of cruelty left a mother dog dead in a canal in Brown’s Farm, Philippi.
The organisation said a female dog, recovered barely alive from a canal, had died because of deliberate cruelty.
A length of wire was twisted in two places around the dog’s neck, after which she was carried to the litter-strewn canal, thrown in, and left for dead.
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.
“Her teats were elongated, the clearest possible indication that she had recently been nursing a litter of puppies. Anyone who recognises this description — a brown and white Pitbull-type female, adult, recently lactating, from the Brown's Farm area or surrounds, is urged to contact the SPCA immediately. She may have been known in the community by a different name. She may have been visible in a yard, on a property, or as part of a breeding arrangement. Any point of recognition is a potential lead,” the SPCA’s Belinda Abraham said.
The dirty canal where the dog was dumped and left for dead.
Image: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
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 image of Grace attempting to move toward him, recognising help, unable to reach it, remained with him long after he left the scene.
"I couldn't sleep that night."
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.
"Animals cannot tell us who harmed them. In cases like this, accountability depends on those who know something choosing to come forward,” Abraham said.
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 SPCA urges members of the public not to assume that someone else will make the call. Every detail matters.
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: inspectorate@spca-ct.co.za or send a direct message via the organisation’s social media channels.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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