Capacitating SAPS to Protect Animals: Building Knowledge, Promoting enforcement
FOUR PAWS and Cart Horse Protection Association team up to strengthen law enforcement of the Animals Protection Act
Cape Town, 22 May – Animal cruelty is a crime, yet too often it goes unnoticed or unpunished. That’s why global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS, in collaboration with the Cart Horse Protection Association, is equipping members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) with knowledge on the application of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962 (APA) — South Africa’s primary statute safeguarding animals — Providing SAPS with the knowledge needed to better identify and respond to animal cruelty cases.
As part of a series of knowledge building sessions, on Thursday, 15 May members of SAPS gathered at the SAPS Barracks for a powerful Knowledge Building session focused on animal protection. Led by FOUR PAWS Policy Advisor Nicola van Wyk (LL.M Animal Law), and Senior Inspector Diana Truter of the Cart Horse Protection Association, the session unpacked the APA. The session was met with enthusiasm by police officers eager to learn, share experiences, and broaden their understanding of the legal framework surrounding animal cruelty, to enable them to apply this knowledge in the execution of their duties on a daily basis.
The key topics covered during the Knowledge Building session were:
- Identifying animal cruelty offenses
- Understanding the legal framework surrounding animal-related matters
- Strengthening docket compilation for prosecution
With South Africa facing countless cases of abuse — from neglected pets to overworked horses and mistreated livestock — ensuring police are well-informed and equipped is a crucial step toward systemic change.
These sessions aim to close the knowledge gap by providing practical and legal insight on animal cruelty offenses. The goal is to get justice for animals — and a stronger, more informed network of officers who can uphold the law and protect the voiceless.
Together, we are building a future where animal protection is prioritised, laws are enforced, and every act of cruelty is met with accountability. Our vision is a world in which humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding.
/ENDS
Deidre Daniels
Public Relations Officer+27 (0)21 702 4277
+27 (0)78 675 8220
9B Bell Crescent, Westlake Business Park,
Green Building, Cape Town, 7945
A Public Relations professional with over eight years’ experience in fostering positive relationships between organisations and media.
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org.za