THE dog’s death has been deemed an accident according to Senior Inspector of the Empangeni SPCA, Roland Fivas.
With the help of the police, the vehicles registration plates were traced and the owner of the vehicle was identified and questioned. ‘After speaking to the woman and looking at video footage from the petrol station, it was established there was no intent to harm the animal in any way,’ said Fivaz.
The woman who had spent the weekend on the coast was returning home with the dog, a present she had recently received.
‘The dog was tied in the bin of the bakkie and during the trip must have jumped out of the bin and was subsequently strangled and then dragged alongside the vehicle,’ he said.
According to Fivaz, the driver would not have noticed, as the dog was not visible and in her blind-spot.
The SPCA has closed the matter calling the death an accident but Fivas urged people not to transport dogs in open bakkies.
‘This is not the first incident of this nature and we need to make the public realise the risks when transporting dogs in open bakkies. Its not only the dogs life in jeopardy but pedestrians walking past too.’
Fivaz added that animals, especially dogs must be transported in an enclosure preventing a tragedy like this from taking place again.
28 JANUARY 2014 – 9.30am
Dead dog mystery
THE sight of a dog hanging from a leash and being dragged along outside the passenger door of a bakkie at an Engen Garage in Empangeni, horrified a Zululand resident on Monday morning.
‘I could not believe what I was seeing, the dog was literally being dragged along the road.’
In shock, the eyewitness watched as the petrol attendant tried to speak to the driver about the dog, but she refused to get out of her vehicle.
The eyewitness did, however, manage to take photos of the bakkie and the dog,as well as the registration plate.
‘The driver did not seem phased at all. It was only when she saw me taking photos that she reacted and became aggressive. At this point, I left,’ said the eyewitness.
After driving away from the garage and stopping to check the photos, the eyewitness noticed the same bakkie stop on the side of the N2, creating suspicion that the dog’s body may have been dumped in the vegetation there.
Senior Inspector of the Empangeni SPCA, Roland Fivas was informed of the incident and a case has been opened with the police.
‘This is horrific, it’s blatant cruelty to animals and the perpetrators need to be brought to book. An investigation will take place and the area where the dog may have been dumped will be searched,’ said Fivas.
This is a sickening story. Such animal cruelty needs to be met with the highest punishment.
I hope that this person gets treated exactly the same way! I would put a rope around their neck and drive off with them and not give a damn!
The driver is lucky I did not witness this! I would have cut the leash to remove this poor, little helpless dog. I would have done all I can to ensure the vehicle and driver did not go any further until the S.P.C.A and Police were on the scene! This is utterly disgusting and utmost cruel!!!Hope she is dealt with in the same manner that she treated this dog!!! This story broke my heart into pieces!!!!
Please hand over the details of the owner of the vehicle and I will personally make sure something is done
This is sickening, and there has been so many of these reports in the Richards Bay and empangeni area, and I believe this is because the people responsible never get caught or reprimanded as they should. It also continues because of people that would rather take pictures than actually doing something. Karen Pead has a point, the witness should have done something to stop the woman to make sure that she did not get away. But on the other hand, Richards Bay S.P.C.A does not have the best track record. They should take a hard look at the S.P.C.A in Uvongo. I get that it is not profit but maybe if they took there job as serious as Uvongo S.P.C.A that would also get as many donations as what they get. When they catch some like that they are sentenced to prison, when that catch someone steeling a animal that get arrested and fine anything from R5000 and up. This is the way to treat people that treat animals like that. Animal cruelty will not stop unless the S.P.C.A and the public do something about it.
This an accident?
So it is also OK to put a child in a car seat without the safety belt on?? This is negligence! If someone had the time to take a photo and told the lady the dog was hanging from her car, WHY on earth would she not check if her beloved dog is ok?
Die vrou behoort steeds vervolg te word. Met respek aan die “inspekteur”, alhoewel daar miskien nie opset was nie praat die wet ook van die redelike mens moet kan voorsien. Daar was steeds nalatigheid.
Dit is nog ‘n ding wat my pla. ‘n Wetsoepasser is daar om te vervolg en nie om te oordeel nie, dit is die werk van die hof.
So it is ok for a dog to die like this and nothing will be done to the owner??? But one kills a dog to save a child’s life and he will have a case of animal cruelty open against him??? Please help me understand this anybody in the SPCA?????
if it was an accident then why did she get aggressive when the eyewitness took foto’s ? I think it’s BS
Blatant cruelty. Sure quick way to get rid of an “unwanted” present. No accident
I am horrified that this woman was allowed off without even a fine. Even if this was an “accident” this is negligence in the extreme … how disgusting to not even notice (blind spot or not) that your dog is no longer in your car. I have often seen drivers of bakkies with dogs tied on leashes in the back and commented that this could happen – and now some innocent animal has lost its life because of this carelessness. If people really cared about their animals they would ensure their safety regardless. DISGUSTING!
The witnesses allowed the driver to drive off??
Please, if you witness animal cruelty, please act first to stop the cruelty asap as much as you can eg. in this case stop the car from driving (off), notify owner, try to help animal, then report case. But just allowing the person to drive off, thats wrong too.
What a load of absolute rubbish – these people make me sick. Just remember, the wheel turns and I hope your wheel will turn very fast. I hope this person is thrown in jail and the key is thrown away for good :(
No living things should be in the bin of a bakkie, human or animal!!!! This may have not been her intention, but is clear negligence!
What a stupid excuse, the dog was supposed to be in the vehicle and not at the back. If she took a child somewhere would she have tied the child to? Surely if you take something somewhere your attention should be on that from time to time. I would not excepted her excuse.
What an idiot! You read what the eye witness say it it DOES sound suspicious!!! Why wouldn’t she get out of her car? Stupid people shouldn’t even own any animals, let alone go near them! Never give someone an animal as a present, it is a decision you need to make yourself and comes with great responsibility! This is horrific! Poor animal had to suffer because of her stupidity, makes me sick!
Nee nee dit glo ek nie kyk wat se die koerant en die eyewitness wat gesien het en foto gevat het??? Hoekom het die vrou nie na die arme hond gekyk nie hoekom hom damp langs die pad??? Geen mens sal nie weet sy hond of dier is nie meer op of in die bakkie nie??? Die vroumens is skuldig hang haar as ek ha kan kry sal ek haar martel tot die dood..Sy het die dier vermoor SKULDIG is sy 100% ek hoop en bid dat die SPCA hierdie saak sal aan vat en seker maak sy kry hel…Sy is n diere MOODENAAR………….
EK verstaan glad NIE hoekom niemand kan insien dat dalk regtig net n omgeluk was nie. As sy regtig ontslae wou geraak het van die dier hoekom sou sy dit in so manier doen?? waar amal dit kon sien? MEns kan nie latyd alles sien as jy bestuur nie, en buitendien die motor se bak is groot en diep dit is amper onmoontlik om so klein hondjie raak te sien in jou trispieel. Dis altyd vinnig om mense te blameer van iets wat ons lees en nie self beleef het nie. Hoe baie mense oor reaggeer?? Ek dink gaan dink eeder aan jou eie sondes en laat die Here die skuldigs uit wys……… en die blote gedagte om iemand te martel tot die dood is net so erg! JY is ook n moodenaar!
Would you put your child in a bin in the back of your bakkie? This is total negligence and cruelty and should be punished.