Police and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty against Animals (SPCA) were on Monday investigating an incident in which a cat was strangled and thrown into a garden at the Bluff yacht club in Durban at the weekend.
”We have taken photographs, we have a report from the vet and a docket has been opened. There are also several witnesses willing to come forward,” said Jackie Dewar, an inspector at the SPCA.
She said the suspect will be questioned and, if necessary, a warrant for his arrest will be issued.
The incident was reported to police and the cat’s owner after a security guard at the yacht club heard the cat — named Peanut — screaming and went to investigate.
The cat’s owner, Chris Rawlinson, said when he confronted Peanut’s alleged killer on Saturday afternoon, the man claimed that the cat had tried to steal his food.
”I’m devastated. He was like my child. He was with me for five years. Everyone around the [yacht] club knew him and liked him because he was a real gentleman cat and not the type that would steal,” said Rawlinson.
Dewar said the SPCA in Durban receives 500 to 600 reports of animal cruelty per month.
Meanwhile, there is still no progress in the search for those who microwaved a live cat in a communal kitchen at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pinewood residence.
Pinetown’s SPCA inspector Roland Fivaz said he will conduct individual interviews with the 49 men living in the residence this week.
Although a reward of R32 000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction, he has received several e-mails from the students saying they have been threatened against coming forward with information by other students living in the residence.
One of the students said ”his life is not worth it”, Fivaz said.
However, some of the students have come forward and said they are willing to undergo lie-detector tests. — Sapa