Men accused of stealing family pet granted N$3 000 bail

The Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court was tense with emotion on Wednesday as three suspects accused of stealing a family's pet dog and selling it for N$200 for ‘kapana’ made their first court appearance.Although the suspects – Seth Skrywer (20), Lourens Nanub (18) and Mariando Bloedstaan (20) – were granted bail of N$3 000 each by magistrate Conchita Olivier, there were indications they might not be able to afford it and could remain in custody until their formal bail application on 18 March.A 12-year-old minor, who was also allegedly involved in the dog theft, was released into his mother’s custody. The group faces charges of theft, money laundering and animal cruelty.A small crowd of about two dozen people, including supporters and protesters, gathered outside the court on Wednesday, expressing outrage over the incident. The stolen pet, an eight-year-old male Rottweiler named Ragnir, belonged to Catherine Titus, who was visibly distraught on Wednesday. Overcome with grief, she struggled to speak, only managing to say: “This should just stop. This killing of pets, beloved family pets, should just stop. These people should not get bail. This should not happen to anybody. This is such a great loss.”Ragnir was described as a loving and valuable family pet.Split views Pet lovers and supporters yesterday called for severe punishment. Some expressed fear for their own pets, vowing to defend them.Another person raised concerns about street food, saying she will never eat kapana again.“How many dogs have been slaughtered and sold as kapana? We already have illegally sold game meat, and now this,” she said. Animal rights activists are furious over what they see as weak enforcement of laws protecting animals. Charne Wasserfall of the Civilian Animal Protection Unit (CAPU) expressed frustration with the authorities.“The justice system fails when it comes to animal cruelty. There is never any real accountability,” she said. “The Animal Protection Act clearly prohibits the killing of dogs for commercial purposes! People can just steal your dog, abuse it, kill it and sell it because they have ‘rights.’ What about the rights of the owner and the dog?”However, not everyone shared the same sentiments regarding the case. Some social media users dismissed the outrage, arguing that people were prioritising an animal over human suffering.“Agh, it’s just a dog... People are hungry out there. At least the money that was supposed to buy food for that dog this month can be donated to orphans,” Rejoice Nekomba commented.Similarly, Lazarus Twaitavela Neliwa questioned the attention given to the case: “People get killed in Swakop every month, yet people are out there demonstrating for a dog...”.On the other hand, many sympathised with the owner, defending the role of pets in families.“Some pets are special; they look after your house, they bring joy and love to the family, so I understand her pain and tears," a social media user with the handle Päül Thë Wrïtër wrote. Police investigation The woman who allegedly butchered and sold the dog meat is reportedly not a suspect but might become a witness. According to the owner, this woman, known as a local kapana seller, claimed this was the first time she had sold dog meat. She allegedly said she needed the money to travel to the north.Erongo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Ileni Shapumba provided details of the incident.The theft occurred on Saturday, 1 February, in Matutura. He said that two Rottweilers were stolen while the owner was inside her home. When she went to feed them, she discovered them missing and found a hole dug under the fence.“Upon searching, it emerged that four young men had stolen the dogs. One of the dogs was later discovered in a house in the DRC location. However, Ragnir was allegedly killed with an axe before both were sold to a local kapana trader for N$200. The dogs were valued at N$5 000 each,” said Shapumba.

Men accused of stealing family pet granted N$3 000 bail

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-14

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Men accused of stealing family pet granted N$3 000 bail

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-14

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