By BARBARA COLE
Durban - Forty-three dogs – many of them kidnapped – have been rescued in Durban before they could be shipped to Angola by an international smuggling syndicate.
The syndicate has been kidnapping and buying up animals across South Africa to traffic them out of the country for dog fighting.
A big fight is being planned and an order has gone out for 100 dogs a week, The Independent on Saturday has learned.
Three suspects have been arrested during the Durban bust and investigations are continuing.
The dogs are now safe, said the source who did not want to be named as she feared for her safety.
“More than 100 dogs have been confiscated in Durban, at Joburg’s OR Tambo Airport and at the border between South Africa and Namibia (the route to Angola) this week alone,” she said.
It is the latest development in a smuggling operation that has been going on for some 10 years and has involved 120 000 stolen dogs being trafficked from Cape Town alone.
The dogs are also believed to be used for breeding, security and mine clearing.
On Friday night she warned dog owners to take care of their pets.
Small dogs, like Yorkshire terriers, are used for bait and get ripped apart by the bigger dogs in the ring. Puppies are also used as bait by the dog-snatchers who can get big money for winning a fight.
One case involved a three-month-old Rottweiler.... READ FULL ARTICLE
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