A bloody knife used to kill a pit bull during a home invasion in Grassy Park could help solve a murder case after the killer left the blade lodged in the animal’s head.
The shocking attack on the four-year-old hondjie named Angel is being investigated by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA and the knife that killed her has been sent away for DNA tests.
Owners Omar and Rawdah Joseph say their beloved dog died protecting them after they came under attack by a suspected gangster.
Rawdah, 36, says on 8 March a man was stabbed to death close to their Perth Road home and they got a skrik when they saw a group of men approaching their house.
Rawdah says: “We don’t know why they came to us, but they broke open the Trellidor and came for me. They cut me with the knife and Angel jumped up to defend me and they stabbed her to death. They even left the knife in her head and ran away.”
The family sought help from the SPCA, but unfortunately Angel had to be euthanised due to the extent of her injuries.
Rawdah says: “We are so sad, we had her since she was a puppy. There is an emptiness in our home now. We were called in by the SPCA who said the knife will be sent for DNA tests to establish if they can find the blood of the man who was killed on it as well. So while we lost Angel, we hope she will help bring justice for the man that was killed.”
The SPCA says a post-mortem on Angel’s remains has been conducted by a qualified veterinary pathologist, whose services were outsourced for this purpose. The man who killed her faces charges under the Animals Protection Act.
Rawdah says they are determined to get justice for Angel: “As the pursuit unfolds, please remember Angel not only as a victim, but as a hero who sacrificed herself to protect her family.”
Grassy Park acting station commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Jacques Lourens, confirmed both incidents and says: “I can confirm that there was a murder and subsequently an assault case opened involving the dog.
“When officers arrived at the scene, the dog had already been taken away.”