SA Celebrates as Influencer Lands in Legal Trouble After SPCA Rescues Malnourished Dogs

• An influencer was charged after the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rescued her pet dog
• The social media user went viral after posting a dancing video of herself with the dog, nicknamed Bobby by social media users, sitting in the background
• The SPCA found Bobby in a terrible state and rescued her, and South Africans discussed the case

For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, a journalist at Briefly News in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) sparked a discussion among South Africans after rescuing a dog and laying charges against a social media influencer.

SPCA opens case against influencer

According to a statement the SPCA released, its Special Projects Unit (SPU) tracked down the owner of Bobby and rescued her on 9 June 2025. This was after the owner went viral in a video where she was dancing while Bobby was sitting in the background. She looked malnourished and emaciated.

The SPCA found her suffering from fly strike and was covered in ticks and fleas. She was forced to eat plastic for survival. When the influencer found out that the SPCA was investigating the video, she mocked the SPCA.

This did not end well for her, as she is now facing charges of violating the Animal Protection Act. Bobby, meanwhile, was sterilised and is currently recovering. She will be placed for adoption after she fully recovers.

SPCA rescues

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA rescued a pony after it was caught pulling a cart three times its weight in September 2024. The owner and the other occupants of the cart were arrested and faced criminal charges.

The SPCA and the South African Police Service pounced on the house of a security company owner after he allegedly captured a tiger that was roaming the streets of Edenvale, Ekurhuleni, in 2023. However, the security company owner was found not to have the tiger.

South Africans saluted SPCA

Netizens commenting on the SPCA's Facebook post applauded them and slammed the social media user.

Le-celle Annie Van Zyl said:

"Please, could we stop calling her an influencer? She's everything except that."

Hazel Dinku said:

"She's no influencer. She's no lady. Being a lady means compassion and fighting for the rights of those who can't speak up for themselves."

Christelle Gunter said:

"Hopefully, a case of animal abuse has been opened against her."

Belinda Jacobs Hechter said:

"Thanks to social media, many animal cruelty, child abuse, trafficking, and other atrocities have been caught just by things like this, so keep on posting influencers. The world is watching."

Tracy Knobel said:

"Thanks, SPCA. Hopefully, they will be monitored so another dog doesn't replace Bobby."

Elephant seal safely returned to the ocean

In a related article, Briefly News reported that an elephant seal wandered into Gordon Bay in the Western Cape in May 2025. The animal roamed the streets of Gordon Bay.

The SPCA was called to the scene, and it initiated a rescue effort. With the help of the South African Police Service, Two Oceans Aquarium, and other stakeholders, the animal was returned to the ocean.

Source: Briefly News