A man was charged with animal cruelty after he allegedly neglected to care for his horses, resulting in their being put down in Vereeniging yesterday, the SPCA said.
“The horses were underweight and had problematic hooves, which caused severe pain and suffering,” said SPCA manager Marlien Pieterse.
The owner had ignored warnings by the SPCA to get the two horses and a foal treated. The foal was born with a severely deformed mouth, which caused severe pain while eating.
“The owner refused to hand the horses over to the SPCA and became verbally abusive towards our inspectors.”
A warrant was obtained from the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court, and the police were called to assist.
Pieterse said that if the owner had treated the animals sooner, they would not have had to be put down. The owner was expected to be prosecuted in terms of the Animal Protection Act. – Sapa