GEORGE NEWS - A man from Blanco, Petrus Januarie, who pleaded guilty to the charge of hurling a puppy to his death and then decapitating him in front of his girlfriend and her child, has been sentenced to 12 months correctional supervision (house arrest).

Januarie was allegedly intoxicated and under the influence of Tik when the incident occurred in December 2016.

According to Garden Route SPCA volunteer Wendy Jones, the incident happened after Januarie told a woman, her child and their dog to get out of his way.

"When they did not react fast enough, he took out his anger on the puppy, smashing its skull and sawing off its head with a knife in front of the mother and child," she said.

SPCA inspector Gerda Reynders attended to the call and laid a charge of cruelty under the Animals Protection Act.

The post mortem verified the woman's account of the puppy's death and the case went to trial. "The dog suffered a very inhumane and excruciatingly painful death. We at the SPCA would like to see harsher sentences handed down to animal abusers like Januarie. A few months' correctional supervision is no justice for this puppy at all," said Reynders.

In October 2017, Quinton van Rooyen from Touwsranten was also sentenced to 12 months correctional supervision after he was found guilty of animal abuse. Van Rooyen's starving labrador bitch, Tosca, was found nearly dead and shackled to her kennel without food or water.

When the SPCA arrived on the scene maggots were eating her alive. Tosca had to be euthanised.

At the time, Magistrate Erna Grobler said that the animal protection act has to be revisited urgently and be amended.