Update: NSPCA to open criminal case against SAPS officials after police dog’s death

The death of a five-year-old police dog has prompted the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) to take legal action against officials in the South African Police Service (SAPS), following an investigation into the conditions in which the animal was kept, as they announced on their website.

Sky, a Belgian Malinois trained to detect arson, was euthanised in September after being discovered severely injured inside her kennel at the SAPS Veterinary Hospital in Roodeplaat, Pretoria.

The NSPCA says it will open a docket for alleged contraventions of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962. Its investigation found that Sky’s ability to cope with her surroundings had not improved during the six months leading up to her death, despite concerns being documented in her veterinary records.

The events that led to her death began well before she was found injured on 7 September 2026.

Records reviewed by the NSPCA show that Sky was treated in March for injuries to her face and legs, as well as teeth that had been torn from her jaw. She also had a history of escaping from her kennel.

During a subsequent hospital stay, she repeatedly attempted to get out and injured herself again. Veterinary assessments identified severe kennel stress and separation anxiety, leading to medication and her confinement in a small indoor kennel with additional security measures fitted to the door.

By August, her records indicated that she had a poor prognosis if she remained in the SAPS environment.

Despite those concerns, Sky remained there. On the morning of 7 September, she was found lying in her kennel, covered in blood and suffering serious injuries. She was rushed to Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital for emergency treatment, but her condition continued to deteriorate. She was humanely euthanised two days later, on 9 September.

The NSPCA’s investigation involved inspections of the facility, two meetings with SAPS and a review of Sky’s veterinary history, treatment records and post-mortem findings.

The post-mortem examination identified extensive muscle damage in both front legs, consistent with prolonged physical exertion during a traumatic event. It also recorded older stitched wounds, tooth wear considered unusual for her age and changes to her adrenal glands associated with chronic stress.

The findings, considered alongside her medical history, led the NSPCA to conclude that Sky had experienced ongoing distress rather than suffering from one isolated incident.

Senior Inspector de Klerk, manager of the NSPCA’s Special Projects Unit, raised further concerns about how Sky’s future was handled once she could no longer perform her duties.

According to the inspector, records indicated that Sky was to be dealt with as an SAPS asset through a supply chain process after she became unable to work. De Klerk said a working animal should not be treated as an asset, particularly when its welfare and care remain the responsibility of the organisation.

The case has also drawn attention to the responsibilities of organisations that use animals in law enforcement and private security.

The NSPCA says the Animals Protection Act applies to working dogs and horses just as it does to other animals. Those responsible for them have a legal duty of care throughout their lives, including when they are no longer fit for service.

It is calling on SAPS and other organisations that rely on working animals to make proper arrangements for retirement, rehoming and end-of-life care, with the animal’s welfare at the centre of those decisions.

The NSPCA has confirmed that it will continue monitoring the welfare of working animals and follow the matter through the criminal justice process.

Sky, a Belgian shepherd who served as an arson-detection dog for the South African Police Service (Saps), has died in what officials and animal welfare groups describe as questionable circumstances after being treated at the Roodeplaat Veterinary Hospital earlier this week.

National outcry and welfare body response

The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) said it would “leave no stone unturned” after Sky was found with severe injuries at a Saps facility. “We’ve seen the photos and they’re hard to look at. We will assess the matter in terms of the Animals Protection Act,” the NSPCA said.

Saps statement and euthanasia

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed a decision to euthanise Sky after she sustained severe injuries and said:

“We mourn the loss of a valued member of the Saps family.”

Internal probe and political pressure

Acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane appointed a senior officer to investigate the circumstances surrounding Sky’s injuries. Dimpane said Sky was no longer an operational K9 and had a history of escaping from the kennels at her previous K9 base in Limpopo.

Ian Cameron, chair of the portfolio committee on police, wrote to Dimpane requesting the immediate identification of the investigating officer, confirmation that all evidence has been secured and details of precautionary action taken against implicated officials. Cameron said the police statement was “deeply hypocritical” and stressed that sympathy could not substitute for accountability.

Concerns over kennelling and oversight

Cameron noted that police veterinary records documented Sky’s severe kennel stress, repeated injuries and the risk of leaving her unattended. He said photographs show the small indoor kennel where Sky was confined and that members had requested she be allowed to stay at a suitable home while administrative arrangements were completed, a request he said was allegedly not escalated.

Criminal and independent investigations sought

Cameron has opened a criminal case and requested that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate consider a probe into Sky’s death.

What remains to be established

Officials and the NSPCA have signalled further action while the inquiry continues. The Saps has expressed mourning for Sky and the matter is now subject to investigations both inside the police service and through external channels requested by oversight bodies.