Durban – Rocky the pit bull, who had been stolen from his home in Phoenix last week, was found on Tuesday and is currently being treated for wounds to his legs.
He was found in KwaMashu by his owners and Animal Rescue KZN after they received a tip off.
Five boys were caught on CCTV camera stealing Rocky, the Moodley family’s pet. The children were seen taking the dog through a hole in the garden fence while the family was away.
The Daily News this week reported on the theft and quoted Lins Rautenbach from the Pit bull Federation of South Africa who felt the dog could have been stolen to be used for dog fighting – an increasingly popular illegal sport in South Africa and a quick source of income.
Speaking to the Daily News on Wednesday, Jayshree Moodley, the pit bull owner, felt that a dog theft syndicate tried to sell the dog after it was badly mauled in a fight.
WATCH: Dog theft caught on CCTV
“(Rocky) couldn’t even use his back legs. Hopefully his spirit won’t forever be broken by this.
“Three other dogs were allegedly stolen this (Wednesday) afternoon.
“This isn’t over. There will be justice for Rocky and all of the other furkids taken by these people,” a determined Moodley said.
Her 12-year-old son, Saien, had noticed Rocky was missing when he went to feed the dogs. The family was heartbroken as they watched the CCTV footage showing how Rocky had been stolen.
They had spent hours searching for him and had also offered a R2000 reward.
Karen Wadsworth Borain, administrator of the Facebook group Dogs of Durban, said she was disturbed by the fact that children, aged between 8 and 12, were “forced” to steal dogs.
“They are beaten and their families threatened (by the dog theft syndicates) if they don’t. It’s happening daily in our own city,” Borain said.
Rautenbach advised people to sterilise and microchip their dogs, to make sure they were not visible from the gate and to not buy from online breeders as the parents of these puppies could very well be stolen.
She also urged people to contact the NSPCA Specials Investigations Unit in similar cases so that it could conduct a legal raid.
This unit can be reached via e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected].