Concerned over the treatment of police dogs

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, has vowed to initiate a criminal inquiry following the severe injury sustained by South African Police Service (Saps) dog, Sky. Sky, a Belgian Shepard, was previously employed by Saps for arson-detection tasks. The dog, captured in her kennel at the Saps veterinary facility in Rondeplaat on Monday morning, was found severely injured.

Medical examination revealed Sky had multiple fractures in her left forelimb, cuts on her face and leg, and extensive bleeding. She was promptly moved to Onderstepoort for urgent medical intervention. Cameron alleged that repeated warnings were issued to Saps management about the dangers of Sky's confinement, which were allegedly disregarded.

He questioned the facility's ability to operate as an animal hospital, specifically its after-hours care and in-patient monitoring services. Cameron has requested the NSPCA to carry out an immediate and independent inspection, along with an investigation by the South African Veterinary Council into the facility's registration, professional conduct, staffing, supervision, and adherence to veterinary standards.

The investigation will aim to ascertain who was in charge of the dog, who received the warnings, who was responsible for checking the kennels, and why no appropriate action was taken. Cameron emphasized that the officials responsible must face criminal investigation if evidence proves they were aware of the risk, had the duty and ability to act, yet failed to do so.

He stressed that this is not a personal attack on the many dedicated Saps dog handlers who care for their animals but rather an issue of accountability concerning the systems and senior management responsible for the welfare of animals in state care. Cameron urged that all relevant CCTV footage, registers, veterinary records, and internal communications must be preserved to ensure a thorough and fair investigation.