Self-defence or animal cruelty? Verulam man shoots neighbour's dog

A VERULAM resident alleged he shot his neighbour's pit bull in self-defence after it entered his property, citing previous incidents including the death of his pet parrot.

However, the dog's owners dispute this account and have opened a case of animal cruelty, backed by video evidence that allegedly contradicts the shooter's version of events.

The pit bull was two years old and had seven puppies five weeks ago.

Ajay Dhanpal, 46, of Grangetown, said when he heard a sound at 2.20am on his property, he feared for his life. 

He said he thought it was an intruder and went outside with his licensed firearm.

Instead, he alleged he saw the pit bull, which, he added, had been getting onto his property since last year.

Dhanpal claimed in September the pit bull had killed his African Grey parrot.

"I was terrified as I knew it would attack me. I then fired a shot at the ground. The dog stopped in its tracks at the noise, but then it turned and came towards me. I feared I would be attacked, so I shot it once. I then called metro police and the SAPS to report the incident, as I felt it was the right thing to do. Nobody responded. I then called Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) and the officers responded within minutes.

"They went to the neighbour's house to notify them that the dog had been shot. The owner, at first, said it could not be his dog as his was in his yard. But when he checked, he realised his dog had been missing. The owner then came to my yard with the Rusa officers.”

Dhanpal, who kept a firearm for safety reasons, said his wife, two minor children and elderly parents lived in fear after the dog had killed their bird.

“Last September, three dogs got into my yard under the palisade fencing. My mother was hanging the washing and ran inside and locked the gate. But one of the dogs got a hold of my pet bird, who was the baby of our family."

He said the bird was uncaged and trained.

"The pit bull killed her and left her in the yard. From then on, my family and I have been living in fear of being attacked. Metro police warned my neighbour to put up a wall, so the dogs do not escape. He moved the dogs and built the wall, and brought them back at the start of this year.

“Two weeks ago, the dogs got into another neighbour's yard and attacked his dog. Should I have waited for the dog to maul me before shooting? I had to put my safety and my life first,” Dhanpal said.

The dog's owner said he had opened a case against Dhanpal for animal cruelty. He declined to comment further.

Prem Balram, the head of Rusa, said reaction officers located the pit bull against a fence with a gunshot wound. 

He said the dog’s owner had disputed Dhanpal’s claim that the dog had entered his yard.

“The dog’s family made contact with us and provided an alternate account of the events leading up to the shooting of their pit bull. The homeowner claimed he discharged his firearm in self-defence. The dog was taken to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), where she was euthanised.

“The family provided a 10-minute video to reaction officers, which appears to show their on the wall and being shot. They claim that no attack was captured on camera and that the shooting may have been a result of a strained relationship between neighbours,” Balram said.

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