Missing Shar Pei who loved bean curry and ladoo found shot dead in Ladysmith
Animal cruelty case
Droopster.
Image: Supplied
A LADYSMITH family’s search for their beloved missing dog ended in heartbreak over the weekend after the animal was found dead.
The dog had been shot in the head and left in a nearby bushland area before it was discovered five days later by a passerby, at the weekend.
A devastated Rekha Munien, the owner of a local coffee shop, said her dog, Droopster, a five-year-old Shar Pei, had been with them from birth.
“We got him as a newborn. We hand chose him from the litter and he has been with us ever since. His birthday is October 19.
“He was a dog who never left our yard. He was our cherished pet and not a guard dog. On the day that he went missing, when we realised he had gotten out of the yard. We immediately went in search of him. He was not streetwise and we knew he would be scared and lost,” she said.
She said that Droopster had been missing from September 22.
“We searched for him in every corner of Ladysmith for days on end. We even closed our shop which has not reopened since this tragedy. We printed posters and even put up a reward of R1 500 if he was found. But none of that worked, we only received prank calls.
“One night we thought we had found him. But the person who called tried to blackmail us for money. It was devastating.”
Munien said their search came to an abrupt end on Saturday, after someone alerted them to a brown dog lying dead in a nearby bushland area.
“We rushed to the place on Dusty Road, which is synonymous with crime and danger, and there we found our beloved Droopster with a bullet through his head.
Munien said she did not know if Droopster was stolen to be sold on the black market.
“I am sure he was lured out of our yard, and they were going to sell him. He was not an aggressive dog. He never attacked anyone. To shoot him in the back of the head was cruel.”
“Droopster was our whole family’s best friend, he was playful, loving, obedient and intelligent. He protected us at all times but never harmed anyone. Everyone who visited our shop loved him. He loved bean curry and ladoo. We hopethat the person who killed him is caught,” said Munien.