Aly Verbaan
ACTING on a tip-off from a member of the public, law enforcement and the SPCA recently carried out a surprise raid on a house in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, whose tenants were suspected of breeding pitbulls with the intention of selling them.
On arrival, law enforcement found two tan pitbulls in the front concrete yard without access to water or shade. One of the dogs was chained on a very short leash.
Two teenagers at the home did not want to allow access to the house, but were quickly overruled by law enforcement officers. At the back of the premises, a female pitbull was found suckling three puppies. None of the dogs were hostile towards people.
The home belongs to Patrick Parker and his wife, who declined to give her name. Parker works for the city council as a youth leader in the Strandfontein Community Hall.
Parker’s son said the female had had three litters, while his wife said the pitbull had only had one.
Overbreeding dogs can lead to serious and often fatal uterine complications.
Parker was allegedly in contravention of a number of regulations, such as not being a registered kennel, having too many dogs on the property, inhumane treatment and failing to vaccinate his dogs.
The SPCA has given him a week’s notice to comply with these, but it is unlikely his premises will be approved for use as kennels, according to Leon Wentzel, chief of animal welfare and marine and environmental management for the city.
SPCA inspector Moyo Ndukwana said the mother of the puppies was removed by the SPCA for sterilisation as another litter of puppies could kill her.
One of the vets said a pitbull she had sterilised had been so overbred that when she removed the uterus, it just disintegrated in her hands.
The city is planning to step up pitbull regulations and clamp down on dogfights, but the current by-laws make it extremely difficult.
However, in terms of section 2 (2) of the Animal By-Law of 2010, Parker may not keep more than two dogs on his property, given the erf size. He doesn’t have permits for all the dogs, they have not been vaccinated, faeces are not cleaned up as required and he keeps dogs that are not microchipped or wearing a collar.