WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA arrested a man and opened an animal cruelty case after shocking footage emerged of a dog being restrained and strangled to death with a rope.
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On March 15, 2024, The Cape of Good Hope SPCA received a report accompanied by upsetting video footage of a dog named Olaf being subjected to unimaginable cruelty.
In the video, Olaf can be seen struggling under a thick blanket as if she is being smothered, and then with a rope around her neck, thrashing, gagging, and gasping for air while being restrained by a man.
Her carers’ desperate pleas were ineffective, and by the end of the video, Olaf appears to be dead.
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‘Even as a seasoned Inspector, the video was hard to watch, no animal deserves to suffer like that. She must’ve been terrified, confused and in agony,’ said Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse.
Olaf was rushed to the Helderberg Animal Welfare Society but was tragically declared dead upon arrival. The SPCA collected her body, and a post-mortem performed by an expert veterinary pathologist determined that she died as a result of injuries consistent with strangulation.
The man, whose identity will not be revealed until he appears in court, was apprehended with the assistance of the Strand South African Police Services yesterday morning.
‘He is expected to appear in court tomorrow, where he will likely seek bail, something the SPCA will strongly oppose,’ said Pieterse, adding that the suspect has allegedly been entrusted with curatorship over Olaf’s owner’s affairs.
‘Please ensure that appropriate provisions are made for the care of your pets by compassionate persons who would care for them as you would should you ever become unable to do so yourself’ said Belinda Abraham, spokesperson for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.
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‘Olaf by all accounts was well cared for and described by those caring for her to be gentle and loving.’
‘Olaf was loved, it could never have been her owner’s wish for her to die like that and that makes this incident all the more heartbreaking,’ says Abrahams.
Also read:
Dog fatally stabbed in the head while protecting owner from home invader
Picture: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
