Cape Town - A Lansdowne man has been sentenced to pay a R10 000 fine or serve 10 months imprisonment, suspended for three years, following the brutal stabbing of a dog during 2020.
The Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) SPCA said they had brought criminal charges against the perpetrator, Vicky Solomons, who was subsequently sentenced in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court.
In a statement the CoGH SPCA said that the dog had to be humanely euthanised because of the severity of her injuries.
He belonged to a homeless man.
SPCA inspector, Jeffrey Mfini, said the dog’s owner was distraught at the time.
"It was the first time I had seen an old man crying like that. The dog, Meira, had been his loyal companion – she was everything to him. I want to say thank you to the Wynberg Court for giving this man a sense of justice," he said.
Meira, a collie cross breed, had been sitting with her owner under the Imam Haroon Road bridge when the pair was approached by Solomons.
"Apparently Solomons had been involved in a fight elsewhere, and took out his anger and frustration on the dog. He kicked and stabbed Meira – and even though the knife got stuck in her back, he still forcefully removed it, lifting her right off the ground," said Mfini.
SPCA chief inspector Jaco Pieterse added that the animal welfare organisation was grateful to the Lansdowne SAPS for working with the SPCA on this case.
"Despite being homeless and vulnerable, Meira’s owner took a brave stand against their attacker by testifying in court. The sentence sends out a clear message that violence against animals is as unacceptable as it is against people," said Pieterse.
Cape Times