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A Hartenbos man who was convicted last year on three counts of cruelty and abuse of animals has been fined R50,000, according to the Garden Route SPCA.
Senior Inspector Cheri Cooke said Lionel Marais was sentenced this month to a fine of R50,000 or twelve months in prison, with R20,000 or six months of the sentence suspended for three years, provided Marais does not reoffend within that period.
In a statement, Cooke said the inspectors from their George branch investigated a complaint of extreme neglect and cruelty at the Plaasweg Boerboels breeding farm in Hartenbos, owned and run by Marais.
She said 68 “severely neglected boerboels were found on the property”, and seven had to be humanely euthanased as they were in pain and distress.
“Most of the dogs were emaciated and dehydrated and had been subjected to “tail docking” or maiming, whereby their tails had been removed - an extremely painful and illegal practice,” Cooke said.
Marais was convicted in July 2024, sentenced by the Mossel Bay magistrate’s court on 14 February. He will have to pay the fine directly to the Garden Route SPCA.
“After four postponements and more than three years of relentless pursuit by the Garden Route SPCA, justice has finally been served,” she said.
Cooke said while most of the dogs could not be saved due to the extent of their abuse, the SPCA was able to rehabilitate and rehome some of them.
“The Garden Route SPCA welcomes this significant victory for animal welfare. We have no tolerance for those who exploit and abuse animals for profit,” she said.
