Sky investigation: Questions grow after service dog’s death

More than 40 hours after a criminal case was opened into the injuries that led to the death of SAPS service dog Sky, questions remain over who is investigating the matter and how the case has been handled.

Ian Cameron MP, who opened the criminal case at 12:00 on Tuesday, said that by 08:00 on Thursday he had still not been told who the investigating officer was.

The latest concerns come as questions are also being raised about the handling of the docket, Sky’s care at the Roodeplaat facility and whether enough was done to protect evidence while her condition deteriorated.

Docket handling under scrutiny

According to Cameron, the criminal docket appears to have been registered at Pretoria Central SAPS instead of Kameeldrift SAPS, which appears to have jurisdiction over the Roodeplaat facility.

He has called on SAPS to clarify how the docket was registered, where it is currently located, who has been assigned to the case and what investigative steps have been taken.

Cameron has also formally asked IPID to consider an independent investigation, saying the criminal case should not be delayed or made dependent on SAPS’s internal inquiry.

He has written to Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane requesting confirmation of the investigating officer, whether evidence has been secured and what precautionary measures have been taken involving officials connected to Sky’s care.

Concerns had already been recorded about Sky

The circumstances surrounding Sky’s welfare are another key part of the case.

According to information cited by Cameron, SAPS veterinary records had already documented serious concerns about the service dog before she suffered the injuries that ultimately led to her death.

A veterinary certificate recorded that Sky suffered from severe kennel stress and separation anxiety. It also stated that she repeatedly injured herself and could not remain in the SAPS environment without compromising her welfare.

Photographs shared as part of the statement show the small indoor kennels where Sky was reportedly confined for approximately 18 hours a day. Cameron clarified that the dog visible in one of the photographs is not Sky.

The statement further says that members had reportedly requested that Sky be allowed to stay at a suitable home while the administrative process for her placement was completed. That request was allegedly not escalated while the process continued for months.

Sky’s final injuries

Sky was eventually found with catastrophic injuries to both front legs.

According to the information provided by Cameron, her tissue was dying and her muscles were breaking down, with organ failure also suspected.

She was later euthanised to end her suffering.

The South African Veterinary Council has acknowledged receipt of a complaint concerning the matter. The NSPCA is understood to be investigating, while Onderstepoort is expected to conduct a clinician-led post-mortem examination.

Calls to protect other animals and evidence

The case has also prompted questions about whether officials connected to Sky’s care should continue working with or supervising other animals while the circumstances are investigated.

Cameron is calling for implicated officials to be suspended or reassigned as a precaution, while stressing that such action would not amount to a finding of guilt.

His concern is that officials who may be connected to the circumstances surrounding Sky’s death could potentially retain access to witnesses, records, CCTV footage and other evidence.

He is also calling on SAPS to account for the remaining animals at the Roodeplaat facility.

What happens next?

Cameron has welcomed General Dimpane’s intervention and said he supports decisive action to establish what happened to Sky.

However, he maintains that SAPS’s internal inquiry should not replace a properly registered and independent criminal investigation.

The focus is now on establishing who has responsibility for the criminal case, whether the docket has been correctly handled and whether the evidence surrounding Sky’s care and death has been secured.

For Sky, those answers come after months in which concerns about her welfare had already been documented and, ultimately, after injuries that could not be reversed.

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Source: Ian Camron/ Facebook

Featured Image: Ian Camron / Facebook