Animal lobbyists hail stiff sentence

John Harvey

THE Knysna Animal Welfare Society (KAWS) believes a landmark court ruling earlier this month will lead to a higher conviction rate for people mistreating domestic animals.

Sedgefield resident Zane Plaatjies was sentenced to 10 months in prison or a R1500 fine after he was found guilty of cruelty to animals on January 16. He had been repeatedly warned since May last year to stop mistreating his two Alsatians.

The verdict also meant KAWS, for the first time in its 60-year history, successfully secured the conviction of an animal abuser who had pleaded not guilty.

The sentence comes as the animal rights group hopes the remaining six men in the 2011 Plettenberg Bay dog-fighting case will be handed heavy sentences.

"This sentence sends out a strong message that the abuse of animals will not be tolerated," KAWS manager Rita Brock said.

KAWS was first alerted to the plight of the Alsatians by Plaatjies's neighbours last May, but he failed to heed their repeated warnings.

"He just wasn't interested. We even got him a new shelter for the dogs and a longer leash so that they could run."

One of the dogs was tied to a leash so short it could not reach its water bowl. They were in such a bad state they had to be put down.