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Spar in the Eastern Cape says it has taken immediate steps to deal with allegation of animal cruelty after a sheep was offered as a prize at a Tops Liquor outlet in Mthatha.
The incident, two weeks ago, led the SPCA in East London laying charges with the police after photos emerged of the sheep lying on the floor of the store with its legs bound.
In a statement released on Friday, Spar said as a socially conscious retailer, it take concerns regarding animal cruelty very seriously.
Spar Eastern Cape marketing manager, Abri Swart, says they took immediate steps to address the matter as soon as they became aware of it almost two weeks ago.
He says the SPAR Group does not condone cruelty towards animals in any way.
Official comment from SPAR Eastern Cape
“As a socially conscious retailer, we take concerns regarding animal cruelty very seriously. We took immediate steps to address the matter as soon as we became aware of it almost two weeks ago.
“The incident occurred while the store owner was overseas and the staff members involved have been made aware of the associated ethical issues to ensure that this does not happen again.
“The SPAR Group does not condone cruelty towards animals in any way. We have been in contact with the owner of the store, who will co-operate fully with the investigation by the NSPCA and take whatever punitive or educational steps are deemed necessary to ensure that this type of behaviour is never repeated.”
“We have satisfied ourselves that this was an isolated incident.
“We apologise for any distress that was caused and will continue to serve and add value to the people of the Eastern Cape.”
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