A female German Shepherd had been tied up to the side of a house in Phoenix. She had recently given birth and two of her pups had already died. A five-month-old pup was found to have died of starvation on a nearby sand heap. It was no more than a little bag of bones. Has no one any eyes to see or a heart to feel for these helpless creatures?

So often calls are delayed until it is too late. The owner has been taken to court. Readers will have heard of this mother dog before. She is Jay-Lo, the German Shepherd we have told you about. Jacqui fell in love with her. Jay-Lo spent many months at the SPCA until the court case was finished. As soon as it was over, she was happily re-housed. The owner was sentenced for allowing the helpless pup to die.

We were called only when it had collapsed on the sand heap. A Mr A Cassim pleaded financial problems and was fined R1 000. The case went to court on 27 September 2006; 31 October; 18 December; 26 February 2007; 1 March and finally on 30 March. In so many court cases, there are excuses, excuses, excuses, many of them stupid and futile. The defendant is ill; he has no legal representative; the legal representative is ill; the legal representative has another case… the courts seem obliged to accept any excuse, any sick note. .... more reports »