The Cape of Good Hope SPCA, with the help of Cape Town Law Enforcement officers, rescued eight mixed-breed pit bulls being kept in faeces-ridden makeshift cages in Diep River’s informal settlement Die Gatjie on Wednesday.
In a Facebook Live video broadcast on The Cape of Good Hope SPCA page on Wednesday, Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse said the operation was allowed to proceed following three unanswered warnings and subsequently a court order to remove the dogs issued by the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court.
SPCA inspectors initially received a complaint about the dogs living in “horrific conditions”.
The video documents dogs living in three makeshift cages, one which only had a small breathing hole, and all which had foul water and a large build-up of poo, pointing to how the animals were badly neglected.
Upon close inspection, the dogs appeared to be mixed breed pit bulls.
And despite being kept in horrific conditions, when the SPCA’s inspectors approached the animals, they showed clear signs of longing for love and affection.
After the eight dogs were rescued, at around the 22nd minute in the video, the doors of the makeshift cages were torn down to prevent the residents from using them for the same purpose.
Chief Inspector Pieterse informed one of the residents that the SPCA would be back to make sure no more dogs would be kept in the cages once the operation had concluded.
There were a number of roaming dogs caught on camera, however, Pieterse explained that the SPCA could not remove them because they were not confined to cages, and therefore not in contravention of the law.
Criminal charges are set to follow the rescue operation.
Reasons why the large number of dogs were kept in the enclosed structures were not disclosed.