The Cape of Good Hope SPCA is disappointed with the sentencing of a man who faced animal cruelty charges in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court.
The accused, 70-year-old Mr Johannes Schreinder, was sentenced to a R3000 fine or three months in prison after several animals living in parasitic conditions and suffering from severe neglect were seized from his property in December 2019.
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Living in piles of his own faeces, in a filthy cage riddled with dust and dirt, and with a food plate that is completely empty. When Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse and Inspector Jeffery Mfini conducted a follow-up inspection of Mr Johannes Schreinder’s Bergvliet home on the 18th of December 2019, this is how Josh the Macaw was living.
With worsening conditions noted between the first inspection on 11 December 2019 and the follow-up inspection on 18 December 2019, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s inspectors were forced to remove all of the animals, including 2 dogs, a macaw, 3 geese, 2 ducks, a cat and a tortoise, from Schreinder’s care on 24 December 2019 under a warrant issued by the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court.
The SPCA waited nearly three and a half years to tell their stories in court. Theirs was a story of total deprivation, of being denied even the most basic forms of care.
They were deprived of fresh food and water, were infested with fleas, had untreated fly-strike ears that were bleeding and lived in a filthy environment.
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Consider two men carrying the weight of testimony, preparation, revisiting years-old case documents, pressure to get it right and pressure to give their all on behalf of these animals who can’t speak for themselves.
Imagine the intimidation experienced during the gruelling cross-examination by the accused’s private representation, followed by the brief relief of knowing that both witnesses for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA have given a flawless account, stood up to scrutiny and passed with flying colours.
Imagine their hearts racing as they hear the magistrate pronounce the accused guilty. Imagine them holding their breath for sentencing and then being disappointed when the punishment is a slap on the wrist.
While the Cape of Good Hope SPCA is pleased that the sentence was handed down unsuspended, Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse says, ‘I am so disappointed that the presiding magistrate, her Worship Ms Rajap, sentenced the accused to a fine of only R3000.00 or three months in prison. This seems like a small price for Mr Schreinder to pay for the suffering he caused these animals.’
While the outcome is disappointing, the court must still hear a second case of animal cruelty against Mr Schreinder. During the February 2022 incident, Inspector Jeffrey Mfini had to apply to the Simon’s Town Magistrates Court for permission to enter Schreinder’s Fish Hoek home. The animals discovered on the property, including yet another macaw, were once again trapped in filthy, parasitic conditions with no access to fresh water.
‘We’re disappointed, but not disheartened because imagine a world in which animal matters were not considered important enough to be heard by the Court. Imagine what would happen if our inspectors just gave up! Fortunately, this will never happen because we will never stop fighting animal cruelty, no matter how many disappointments we have to face. We’re proud to have a resilient team that, because of your support, lives to fight another day!’
None of the animals removed from Schreinder’s care will ever endure suffering like that again.
Josh is currently living his best life at the Birds of Eden free-flight bird sanctuary in Plettenberg Bay.
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Picture: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
