A Vincent resident faces possible imprisonment or a fine after shooting his neighbour’s dog twice, which had to later be put down due to its injuries.
The resident shot the dog after it jumped over a wall into his back yard on May 16.
East London SPCA general manager Ian Lombard said prosecution was being sought in terms of the Animal Protection Act and should the man be found guilty, his sentence would possibly include having his firearm licence revoked, a criminal record, and an order deeming him unfit to own an animal for a set period.
The dog, named Honey, was shot in the jaw and neck. Bleeding profusely, she then ran out of the gate and hid in a drainpipe until she was found by inspectors from the EL SPCA who had been called by neighbours who heard the gun shots.
According to the EL SPCA’s investigation, after shooting Honey, the man allegedly got into his car and drove off.
He apparently told neighbours he shot the dog in self-defence and to protect his family, though the EL SPCA believes he was alone at home at the time.
Lombard said: “If he had shot the dog once and the dog died instantly with no suffering, we would not have a leg to stand on.
“Instead, he let her suffer by shooting her twice, shattering her jaw and injuring her neck and the front gate was opened for the dog to run down the street, blood pouring from her neck. To have a successful prosecution you need to deal with facts and not hearsay and in this case the dog was maimed, and no medical attention was sought.
“The dog’s owners said their dog had never jumped over the wall in the four years they have had her, and that she was a friendly labrador.
“An owner must make every effort to keep their animals within their properties.
“The public are our eyes and ears and no matter what the severity of cruelty or suspicion thereof, they need to call our society who in turn react and assist.”
Honey’s devastated owners insisted that the man be prosecuted.
Her owner said: “Honey was such a faithful companion with such a big heart, she never deserved such a traumatic last few hours of her life.
“She always wanted to be around her people.
“On the Vincent Sector WhatsApp group, I saw a message about a black Alsatian type dog running down our street after gun shots were heard. One of the group members put up a picture and that’s when I saw it was Honey. We had thought maybe our house had been broken into.
“I rushed home only to find out our neighbour had shot Honey twice and then got into his bakkie and drove away. A criminal case has been opened. We will not let him get away with this.”
Tessa Boyd from Pet Pals said “all dogs should be secure in their yards and owners must ensure walls are high enough and that your dog does not exit your property as you are then liable”.
