A puppy aged about seven weeks, with two black spears driven into it, was rescued by a vagrant after being buried alive in Camps Drift, Pietermaritzburg, police reported on Friday.
Police spokesperson Inspector Joey Jeevan said the homeless man had been ”scrambling around” on Thursday morning when he heard the puppy’s howls.
”He spotted the puppy buried in a shallow grave and summoned the police,” said Jeevan.
Police found two black spears inserted into the puppy in the form of a cross, as well as a mirror, a dead chicken, and candles, among other items.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) was alerted and the puppy was taken away for treatment.
Christine Kuch, spokesperson for the SPCA’s national council, labelled the act as ”truly horrific”.
She said the SPCA would do all in its power to assist police in finding the perpetrators.
Kuch explained that in terms of the amended Animal Anti-Cruelty Act there were severe penalties for people who committed such crimes.
”In a magistrate’s court, a person could get up to three years in jail and in a regional court, they could get up to 15 years,” she said. Meanwhile, the maximum fine in a magistrate’s court was R60 000 and in a regional court a fine of up to R300 000 could be imposed.
”We call on anyone with information on the crime to come forward so that the perpetrators can be caught, tried and brought to justice because this is a criminal offence,” Kuch said.
Jeevan said a case of cruelty to animals had been opened but that no arrests had been made.
Robert Deere of the SPCA said the puppy was in a lot of pain but still alive. – Sapa