A couple, Nazeem Salies and Natasha Koekemoer, accused of hitting and throwing a boxer puppy named Hector, made their second appearance in the Hermanus Magistrates Court on Monday, 26 April.
The pet sitter’s were widely used in and around the Hermanus area before they were caught on camera allegedly abusing the puppy. The video was widely circulated on social media and the couple were blasted for their disgraceful behaviour against a helpless puppy.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has been investigating the allegations against Salies and Koekemoer – Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse from the animal anti-cruelty organisation attended the court case on Monday to represent Hector.
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The case was remanded until the 11 June 2021 for further investigation.
The SPCA said they will keep following the case closely until the matter is heard and justice is served.
“The incident was reported to have taken place on 22 March 2021 in Hermanus. The owner of the puppy only became aware of the incident when the CCTV footage was watched afterwards. The owner is very distraught and wants justice,” the SPCA wrote in a post.
In another post, the woman in the video claims they had proof to confirm the owners were satisfied with our services up until this incident. The woman also said they were unaware they were being recorded and it was an invasion of their privacy to leak the video without their consent.
“We wish to assure our supporters that the case is in good hands. Our Inspectorate team made contact with the owner of the abused dog. We will be working closely with the owner to ensure that charges of animal cruelty are brought against the two pet sitters in terms of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962,” the SPCA concluded.
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