'A blood-soaked carpet': raid lifts veil on 'dog fighting ring' in Cape Town

The gruesome scene painted a damning picture — a blood-soaked carpet and the walls of a makeshift fighting pit smeared with the blood stains of suffering.

This was the sight that greeted staff from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA and the City of Cape Town law enforcement animal control unit during a raid that lifted the veil on an illegal dog fighting ring at a property in Ottery.

“Five dogs were seized, two of whom bore the unmistakable scars of dog fighting. Among them, a dog and a young puppy were found with freshly cropped ears, their wounds still stitched, also criminal in terms of the Animals Protection Act,” said the SPCA.

“Inspectors also confiscated a treadmill, break-stick, medication and other paraphernalia often associated with the savage blood sport of dog fighting. The pit itself has been collapsed and seized as evidence, with forensic testing now required to strengthen our case against those responsible.”  

The SPCA pledged to cover the cost of DNA testing at a private laboratory in a bid to bring the perpetrators to justice and appealed for donations to ensure this evidence was gathered timeously.

“Dog fighting is not just an act of cruelty — it is a criminal enterprise, one that thrives in the shadows and feeds on the suffering of the voiceless,” added the SPCA.

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