The Cape of Good Hope SPCA says five young boys who were involved in dog fighting in Retreat, should be held responsible for animal cruelty.
The five children between the ages of 10 and 12 were apprehended for their involvement in illegal dog fighting activities and were subsequently released.
Two injured dogs were rescued, however one of the dogs had to be euthanised due to the extent of its injuries.
Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesperson, Belinda Abraham, says they will be taking legal action in order to teach the children involved a valuable lesson on how to treat animals.
“Whether or not the matter will be heard is dependent on the Department of Public Prosecutions. Children under 10-years-old do not have criminal capacity and for that reason the matter is likely to be heard in the Children’s Court, something that we’re quite pleased about, because that does mean this will include the involvement of social workers and there is an opportunity and hope that these children can be rehabilitated. For a child of that age to be demonstrating actions that are completely devoid of empathy is cause for concern and we’re hoping that through the process these children will learn a valuable lesson.”
Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town says its collaboration with animal welfare organisations has yielded positive results.
It says community awareness of animal cruelty is also growing within communities.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says they have received around 30 tip-offs about dog fighting this year.
“We have had 28 tip-offs since the beginning of the year, about dog fighting and we have had at least 12 arrests in relation to this. These five children most recently and on the 13th of March this year, a man from Atlantis was convicted with prison time, I think he received about 18 months for dog fighting. He had built an actual dog fighting ring at the back of his house.”
