Pietermaritzburg dog breeder Amod Sheik convicted of animal cruelty

AFTER a four-year battle, the NSPCA has secured a conviction against Pietermaritzburg dog breeder Amod Sheik for animal cruelty involving 17 pit bull-type dogs kept in squalid conditions.

Found guilty of keeping dogs in unacceptable conditions with evidence of old scarring, Sheik received a suspended sentence while a second criminal case is under investigation

According to the NSPCA, Amod Sheik was convicted in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on February 10, 2026, of animal cruelty in terms of the Animals Protection Act. 

NSPCA spokesperson Jacques Peacock said the case began after the organisation received an anonymous complaint in 2022.

“The conviction follows an investigation initiated in 2022 after the NSPCA received an anonymous complaint alleging that multiple dogs were being bred and raised under circumstances that raised serious animal welfare concerns, warranting further investigation,” Peacock said.

He said the NSPCA’s Special Investigations Unit, led at the time by Chief Inspector Nazareth Appalsamy, executed a warrant in collaboration with the Pietermaritzburg SPCA.

“Inspectors found a number of dogs housed in conditions that did not meet acceptable welfare standards, including enclosures contaminated with faecal matter. Many of the animals bore old scarring, which required further veterinary and investigative assessment,” he said.

“At the time, the NSPCA was able to take two of the animals into its care due to the condition that they were in. Criminal charges were subsequently laid against Mr Sheik,'' he said. 

Peacock said the matter was “vigorously contested over approximately four years and involved numerous court appearances”, with the defence challenging both the NSPCA’s evidence and the validity of the warrants.

Authorising magistrates were called to testify, and NSPCA witnesses, including Appalsamy, former Inspector Shiven Bodasing and Dr Bryce Marock, provided evidence before the court, he said. 

Sheik was sentenced to a fine of R3 000 or three months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of a further offence in terms of the Animals Protection Act during the period of suspension.

While sentencing is determined solely by the court, Peacock said the conviction reinforces that “animal cruelty offences will be investigated and prosecuted where evidence warrants, with the aim of preventing further suffering and upholding the welfare and protection of all animals.”

He added that a second criminal case is currently being investigated by the South African Police Service (SAPS) after a subsequent docket was registered in November 2023 by the Pietermaritzburg SPCA.

Peacock also extended appreciation to those who assisted in the matter.

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