On Monday 29 July, a group of demonstrators from PAWS and KAWS joined forces to demonstrate outside the Knysna Magistrates Court, where Billy Marais was being sentenced for his leading role in the shocking dog fighting activity that he was conducting at his farmhouse in Ladywood, in May 2011. This group of outraged demonstrators were determined 
to show their opposition to a light sentence for the man who had facilitated such extreme cruelty to eight pit bull terriers that they all had to be euthanased due to severe injuries and trauma, all in the name of greed.
Of the ten men detained originally, four were charged in terms of the Animal Protection Act. Three of these men, Fanie Joubert, Ferdinand Endeman and Anthony Blake were given relatively light sentences because some witnesses, who were due to appear in aggravation of sentence, were not notified of their court appearance in May 2013, two years after the crime was committed. Dr Kathleen Davis, KAWS veterinarian at the time, said : “It is an absolute disgrace that the state deems it fit to handle a case of this magnitude in such a careless and cavalier fashion”.
Billy Marais was sentenced to 18 months correctional supervision and confined to his house in Fourways, Johannesburg, where he will be allowed to go to work only. In addition, he is required to do community service at th
e Krugersdorp SPCA for 16 hours every month and was also instructed to undergo counselling for anger management and social skills. He was fined R20 000, of which R10 000 was suspended, and he was also found unfit to own a firearm. Although PAWS AND KAWS were not entirely satisfied with the sentence meted out to Marais, they were nevertheless relieved that his sentence would prevent him from simply resuming his life without atoning for this horrendous crime.
PAWS AND KAWS would like to appeal to all members of our community to report any acts of suspected dogfighting or of dogs being prepared for such activity. Please help us to fight cruelty to all animals and to stamp out barbaric dog fighting for once and for all!
Please contact KAWS on: 044 384 1603 and PAWS on: 083 287•