SAPS Service Dog Sky Tried to Escape from Roodeplaat Facility
- Parliament's Police Committee chairperson Ian Cameron launched a criminal case and called for an IPID probe after a SAPS dog died
- Sky, a five-year-old Belgian Shepherd trained to detect arson accelerants, was euthanised on 9 September 2026 following severe injuries
- Veterinary records from August had already flagged Sky's deteriorating condition at the SAPS Veterinary Hospital in Roodeplaat
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PRETORIA — An alleged tragic systemic failure within the South African Police Service has resulted in the death of K9 unit member, Belgian Shepherd Sky. The animal was euthanised on 9 September 2026 after suffering fatal self-inflicted wounds inside her enclosure at the Roodeplaat Veterinary Hospital.
According to Daily Maverick, the canine endured extreme confinement during her final 48 hours, left unwatched for 18 consecutive hours between 6 and 7 September. Physical evidence from inside the windowless cell revealed an attempt to break free before handlers discovered her condition.
Desperate escape attempt marks final hours of police service dog
Medical files confirm that veterinary staff diagnosed Sky with severe anxiety and self-harming tendencies six months prior. Despite an official medical warning on 28 August that continued isolation would prove fatal, she was not immediately transported to a medical health facility.
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Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Chairman Ian Cameron subsequently initiated legal proceedings under national animal protection legislation. In response, national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe stated that an internal inquiry is underway to examine management protocol failures, while external veterinary oversight bodies have launched independent inspections of the Pretoria facility. Cameron also revealed that the SPCA has taken legal action.
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Limpopo K9 dog killed by python
In a related article, Briefly News reported on Bina, a South African Police Service K9 dog from Lephalale that was killed by a python in her kennel. The Belgian Shepherd had been trained as a narcotics detection dog and worked on drug-related cases in Limpopo.
Bina’s death sparked public anger, with South Africans accusing the police of negligence and questioning the safety of K9 facilities. Her final operation involved the seizure of drugs worth R75,000, including crystals, nyaope, and CAT.
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Source: Briefly News
