A Cape Town resident ran barefoot into the streets of Rondebosch in July 2024 still in her pyjamas after watching two men repeatedly whip a cart horse from her kitchen window, reports Cape {town} Etc.
Image: Cape of Good Hope SPCA
When she confronted them, one turned the whip on her. She kept running anyway, pursuing the men through several streets while calling for help until SAPS, local security and SPCA inspectors intervened.
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On 3 June 2026, Taswell Solomons and Stanley Michaels appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to animal cruelty under the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962. Magistrate Maclons handed down the maximum sentence available: a R40 000 fine or 12 months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA welcomed the outcome. ‘This is the second recent matter in which a court has imposed a sentence of this magnitude,’ the organisation said, noting it signals courts’ growing recognition that animal cruelty carries meaningful consequences.
The horse, found soaking wet with hooves in poor condition, was seized and placed in SPCA care. Without one resident’s refusal to look away, the case may never have reached court.
Article shared by Angelica Rhoda for Cape ETC
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