Two dog diewe from Delft are behind bars after a heartbroken owner reported them to police amid an uproar from residents about their dogs being stolen.
Sisters Charmaine and Nicole van der Horst from Voorbrug say they got a skrik on Saturday morning when they woke up to find Nicole’s six-month-old Boxer puppy, named Bova, missing.
Charmaine, 33, says her sister bought Bova several months ago and each morning she opens her door and calls him, but on Saturday he was nowhere to be found.
“The night before we heard the dog barking, but he also barks at the cats, so we didn’t go out,” she explains.
“When Nicole opened the door and called him we found that washing had been stolen from the line and Bova was gone.
STOLEN FROM HOME: Bova, six months. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
“We started asking people in the community and we found out other people also had their dogs stolen in the middle of the night.”
Residents say the skelms are known to steal Boxers and Pit bulls which they sell to drug merchants to help guard their properties or to be used in dog fighting.
The community identified the two skelms who were taken into custody yesterday, but Nicole says slapgat cops were not interested in taking the case despite a threat from one of the skelms who “wanted to stab her”.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana, says a theft case has been opened and two men, aged 31 and 37, were arrested.
“The dog is yet to be found,” Rwexana said.
Resident Cornelia Smith, 56, says her two German Shepherd puppies were also stolen within a month of each other.
“They jumped over our wall the one night and my puppy that I bought for my family was just gone. About a month later I got another one and they came again and stole that one. We hear they sell them for dog fights.”
Residents fear the case may fall through as the skelms have allegedly been threatening witnesses.
Rwexana did not indicate whether the men will be sent to court to face charges.