This was the moment a man tried to sell a puppy to passersby for just R20.
The SPCA says they are aware of criminals breeding dogs just so they can be sold “to make money”.
The Daily Voice witnessed a sale earlier this week when a staff member was approached by a man trying to sell the puppy for R20 along Duinefontein Road in Manenberg.
The dog seller dangled the helpless puppy from its tail, ignoring the tiny animal’s yelps of pain.
“He approached the car and said: ‘Aweh, ek het ’* hond hier, gee ’* R20, dit is ’* original,” explains the horrified staffer.
“He then took the dog behind the neck and shook it.
“Then he wanted to convince us it is an original breed, and placed it on the ground and picked it up by its tail, showing us the dog’s stomach area.
“He said if we don’t have R20, we can give him R10.”
Belinda Abraham from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA says dogs are being bred for the sole purpose of being sold on the streets.
This, she says, increases the female dog population, resulting in overbreeding and contributing to the cruelty of animals.
Recently the SPCA rescued two puppies from a man trying to sell them.
The tiny dogs were dehydrated, covered in fleas and sick, and one of them has died.
The man, known to the SPCA for selling dogs illegally, was arrested and is facing a charge of animal cruelty.
Belinda says the SPCA is trying to find out where the dogs are being bred.
“While the possibility that puppies have been stolen cannot be completely eliminated, in our experience, in most incidents puppies are bred specifically for income generating purposes.”
“The case we are currently investigating has been particularly difficult based on the fact that the accused was spotted several times in different locations with different puppies for sale, this indicates that he has access to several breeding females,” she says.
She says members of the public who tried to confront the suspect were met with aggression.
“These puppies are often sick or unweaned and in some instances undernourished and badly treated.”
Belinda says if caught, the SPCA lays charges of animal cruelty against offenders.
“In addition to this, puppy sellers will find themselves on the wrong side of the law for trading without a valid hawker’s licence.”
She urged people not to buy pets off the street.
“We ask the public to call the SPCA on 021 700 4158/9 during office hours or on 083 326 1620 after hours to report puppy sellers.”