By Hannah Roberts
A Parow couple are to appear in the Bellville regional court on Friday, charged with burning their dog alive.
If convicted, the pair could face fines of up to R200 000 or two years in prison.
The pitbull, named Tammy, almost died when her owners allegedly tried to set her alight in her kennel. She was so burnt so badly that the SPCA, who had rescued her and the owners' two other dogs, had to put her down.
'She was suffering immensely' "She was suffering immensely and there was nothing more we could do for her," said Allan Perrins of the SPCA.
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Tammy had burns all over her body: on her face, legs and underbelly, but her eyes were particularly badly damaged.
Her kennel had been doused with paraffin and set alight because her owner's boyfriend wanted to teach her a lesson.
The couple admitted in an affidavit they wanted to punish the pitbull for jumping over the fence into the neighbour's backyard, but they claimed they only wanted to burn the dog's kennel, said Perrins.
However, investigators found that the kennel was soaked through with the paraffin and had been burned on the inside.
This suggested that the owners had burnt the dog and not just the kennel, he said.
They will face charges of animal cruelty under the Animal Protection Act.
The names of the owner and her boyfriend are on the charge sheet, but it is unknown whether they will both stand trial, said Kira Joshua, spokesperson for the SPCA.
"If convicted, the magistrate may issue an injunction preventing them from owning an animal again," she said.
The owners' two other dogs, a pitbull and a German shepherd, are in the SPCA's care.
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This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Times on August 25, 2006
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