Newcastle business owner facing charges of animal cruelty

Please be advised that the following story contains information about cases of animal neglect and abuse. 

It says it received complaints last month about the condition of two dogs, which were being kept at an abandoned factory in the Free State, which the Newcastle man owns. 

One of the animals had been locked inside the building and was left without food or water. 

The room was covered in excrement and urine. 

Inspectors found the body of the second dog inside a locked vehicle.

They suspect the canine died after suffering from heat stroke. 

The council's senior inspector Nazareth Appalsamy says when they tracked the owner down in KZN this month, they found three Dogo Argentino breed dogs locked in small cages. 

Appalsamy says even after their team removed the animals from his property, the man refused to take responsibility for them. 

"The owner claimed that he had employed security guards to take care of these animals. We have interviewed the guards which they denied the allegations saying that the owner did not give them money for the purpose of feeding or buying feed for these animals. 

"That is not the case in Newcastle because it is evident that he was indeed present and the dogs were in a shocking state."