Men fined after chaining, wounding and forcing sick dogs to fight, NSPCA slams sentence

'A wholly suspended fine does not reflect the cruelty of this case or the harm it causes,' says NSPCA senior inspector. The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) has criticised the wholly suspended fines handed to two Northern Cape men convicted of animal cruelty, saying the sentence trivialises organised cruelty and fails to deter others. The convictions follow more than two years of NSPCA investigation into a dogfighting complaint. A dogfighting video tip‑off On 30 January 2024, the NSPCA’s Special Projects Unit (SPU) received a complaint about a suspected dogfight near Britstown along with a video of the event. Inspector Richman Sibande and Senior Inspector Matome Semenya travelled from the NSPCA’s Alberton offices to the Northern Cape to investigate. Once inspectors located the suspects, they obtained and executed search warrants at both properties. The dogs identified in the video were found and surrendered to the NSPCA. Investigators reported that the animals were chained and had untreated wounds; one emaciated, ill dog had allegedly been forced to fight in that condition. Rescued dog on the Britstown property. Picture: Supplied/NSPCA Charges were laid against both accused for animal cruelty and dogfighting under the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962 (APA). After more than two years of investigation and follow‑ups, the matter was finalised on 6 August 2026 at the Britstown Magistrate’s Court. Guilty pleas, but no separate dogfighting conviction Christopher Boesak and Geriaan Maritz each pleaded guilty to animal cruelty under section 2(1)(b) of the APA. The state, however, did not pursue a separate charge for animal fighting under section 2A of the APA, even though the NSPCA had included it in the docket. Each man was sentenced to a fine of R2 000 or six months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he does not reoffend. ‘A wholly suspended fine does not reflect the cruelty’ – NSPCA Senior Inspector Arno De Klerk, who manages the NSPCA’s Special Projects Unit, said the sentence sends the wrong message about the seriousness of organised animal abuse. “Dog fighting is illegal under the APA, and it is closely linked to other criminal activity that harms the people, children, and communities where it happens,” De Klerk said. The animal welfare group said that dogfighting operates like a small, violent underground economy, drawing spectators and gamblers, and often overlaps with other crimes that put communities at risk. It said suspended fines in such cases could signal that organised animal abuse is a minor offence, even when dogs are chained, wounded, and forced to fight while sick. “A wholly suspended fine does not reflect the cruelty of this case or the harm it causes, and it does little to deter others. The NSPCA is calling for sentences that treat organised animal cruelty as the serious crime it is,” said De Klerk.