“Justice for Lion”: Western Cape Man Who Hanged Dog From Tree Set for Sentencing
- A Western Cape man pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after allegedly tying his dog Lion to a tree and hanging him in Vredendal in June 2025
- A video of the incident surfaced showing the accused drinking a beer while Lion struggled, prompting The Angel Project to step in
- Animal welfare campaigners are pushing for a prison sentence and a lifetime ban from owning animals ahead of his sentencing
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WESTERN CAPE - A Western Cape man is facing sentencing after pleading guilty to one of the most disturbing animal cruelty cases to come before the Vredendal Magistrate's Court in recent years.
The incident took place on 28 June 2025 in Vredendal, Western Cape. The accused allegedly tied his dog, Lion, to a tree and hanged him. A video later emerged showing the man casually drinking a beer while Lion fought for his life. The footage spread widely and triggered a wave of public anger.
The Angel Project, a non-profit animal welfare organisation, was alerted by police and moved quickly to help. Volunteers managed to rescue Lion, but a veterinarian who examined him found his injuries too severe. He was euthanised to end his suffering.
Sentencing set for September
More than a year passed before the case returned to court. The accused has since entered a guilty plea to animal cruelty and is due back in the Vredendal Magistrate's Court on 16 September 2026 for sentencing.
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Under South Africa's Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962, a conviction for animal cruelty carries a penalty of a fine or imprisonment of up to one year.
The Angel Project has been vocal about what punishment it believes the court should hand down. The organisation is urging the magistrate to impose a one-year prison sentence and to formally declare the accused unfit to own animals in the future.
Animal lovers and welfare campaigners across the country have been following the case closely, with many calling for the strongest possible sentence as a message to those who abuse animals.
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Briefly News reported that Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa, Thandi Modise, has been acquitted of the charges that she was facing for alleged animal cruelty.
The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has won a landmark animal cruelty case after a four-year legal battle against a pit bull breeder after he was found with 17 dogs confinced in filthy cages.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Cape Town rescued a pony that was struggling to pull a four-passenger cart three times it's weight.
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Source: Briefly News
