Illegal dog fighting

MAHWELERENG – Recent reports and speculation surrounding possible dog fighting matches in the area, has given rise to the Percy Fyfe Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) manager Marcelle Maritz vowing to exposing these practices.

“It is just wrong to refer to the culprits as the ‘dog’s owners’, because in many cases, these animals are stolen from their rightful owners in residential areas,” she says, adding that dog fighting is classified as animal cruelty.
Colonel Ronel Otto, provincial police spokesperson, told Northern News that the police can only assist in breaking up dog fights. “It really is not the police’s responsibility, because there is no criminal complaint that we can investigate,” she stated. Col Otto suggested that complaints should be dealt with by environmental affairs or by the municipality.
Wendy Wilson, senior inspector of the Special Investigation Unit of the NSPCA was dismayed to learn that Limpopo police did not recognise animal abuse as a crime. She stated that Section 2a (1) of The Animal Protection Act of 1962 quotes, “any person who (a) possesses, keeps, imports, buys, sells, trains, breeds or has under his control an animal for the purpose of fighting of another animal; (b) baits or provokes or incites any animal to attack another animal or to proceed with the fighting of another animal; (c) for financial gain or as form of amusement promotes animal fights; (d) allows any of the acts refer to in paragraphs (a) to (c) to take place at any premises or place in his possession or under his charge or control; (e) owns, uses or controls any premises or place for the purpose or partly for the purpose of presenting animal fights on any such premises or place or who acts or assists in the management of any such premises or place, or who receives any consideration for the admission of any person to any such premises or place; or (f) is present as a spectator at any premises or place where any of the acts referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c) is taking place or where preparations are being made for such acts, shall be guilty of an offense and liable to conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.”
“Dog fighting condones a level of violence and cruelty that not only has consequences to the community that tolerates its existence, but it also walks hand- in hand with other criminal activities,” says Wilson.